Lowest Common Denominator

I've noticed that when guys get together our conversation is completely dependant on how many of us there are. For example, two guys talking will discuss issues like social reform, the influence of Dickens on Victorian literature, or the incommunicable attributes of God.

But throw another dude into the mix and the subject matter deteriorates at a staggering rate. Something happens when the number grows beyond two of us and educated, philosophical commentary turns into punching each other in the nuts and wondering out loud who would stand a better chance in a fight with Mike Tyson.