Why do we act so polite in public?

Why do we act so polite in public and so impolite at home with out loved ones?  I think it's easy to understand.

We all feel good or bad about ourselves depending on the way we see ourselves reflected in other people's responses to us.  The people you live with already know you are an asshole, but the new people you meet in public may come to think of you as an excellent person. 

 When you meet new people, you can make an impression as that person you envision yourself to be, and you can actually experience yourself as that excellent person. 


At home, though, the best you can hope for is to impress people enough for them to say, "Hey, I wonder what's gotten into him... he has not been acting like an asshole so much lately."