For as long as human kind has existed, men (and I suppose some women) have grown beards for many reasons. They've grown them for competition and sport. They've grown them for warmth and protection from harsh winters and cold nights. They've grown them to impress women (and sometimes other men). They've grown them to win bets. They've grown them because they lost bets. But most importantly, for the last five hundred years** they've grown them to amuse themselves and inspire Internet fodder.
**not historically accurate
I, for one, fit into the rich tradition that embodies the latter category.
