Why is it that young women always travel in packs?

We want to go out for some drinks? We all drive together. One of us needs to go to the ladies room? We all go. One of us wants to go grab some grub with the semi-attractive drunkard holding our hand? We all agree that she shouldn’t, and then proceed to drag her drunken ass to the car.

This may root back to the fact that we, as women, like to protect our friends — it’s our good deed for the day. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s probably stopped a lot of STDs from spreading and awkward mornings from happening.

But the problem with the “packs” is that, I’m told, women act differently as a whole than as individuals. And the more I think about it, the more I agree. Women are always telling their boyfriends how differently they act when with their bros than alone. Well, ladies, the same is true about us, so don’t jump down your boyfriends’ throats just yet.

Women tend to release their inner bitch when surrounded by friends at a bar or club or whatever. We mirror each other’s personalities and decide we’re a unit. No one leaves.

So when Mr. Confidence walks up to your group of gals and hits on you, you shut him down before he even finishes the sentence. You then proceed to suggest finding a skank with a short skirt.

It must be a defense mechanism — you’re either defending your friends’ feelings so they don’t feel bad or you’re defending yourself in hopes of looking like the confident woman your momma taught you to be. You don’t settle. That’s fine. Or, maybe you’re just out with your friends having a good time and aren’t looking for a boyfriend at a bar. Even better.

But when a woman approaches the bar solo, the situation changes. The guy nursing his drink next to her asks if he can buy her a drink. She’s alone; no minions around, so she politely chats it up at the bar and, maybe, decides to hang around for a bit. She may decline his offer to head to his man cave, but does so with class.

This entire situation can be based off of assumptions. Guys assume that girls are at bars to get guys. And girls assume that they’ll automatically get hit on the second they step up to the bar. With that expectation in mind, when a guy approaches a girl, she already has his words ingrained in her brain. She’s a mind reader and knows what’s coming. So she just as quickly turns him away as she shoots back a shot of tequila. She continues her girl’s night while the rejected returns to his gaggle of guys and awaits the next girl. It’s a vicious circle, indeed.