Old Grey Beard wrote:
OP, all historical male figures worth respecting maintained some sort of facial hair. The exception is colonial/independence times, where facial hair briefly went out of fashion (think George Washington). You're merely experiencing what's buried in most individuals' subconscious: your beard is what makes you a real man.
Dudes respect you. They'll do stuff for you because they see you as someone to look up to and gain traction with. They also notice the 'alpha'-rays that your beard emits, and those with freshly-shaven baby faces are particularly vulnerable to feeling inadequate when exposed to the radiation (or radiance) of your beard.
Women notice it too. Your full, thick beard marks you as an ideal specimen whose genes would combine nicely with hers to create robust and sturdy offspring. Further, your beard represents a warm place to snuggle her head against during cold winter nights in a cave - though she wouldn't be able to identify it as such and merely thinks, "gee, what a sexy fvcking man." It's not surprising that your wife despises the beard. She understands that it makes you attractive to other suitors, and should one come along that find more suitable for sex, she may be out of a mate. She will try at all costs to get your to shave it - via insults, force, etc. Be wary. Her friends are confused. They see your beard and are attracted to it, yet they must defend their friend and her beliefs. This is dangerous because their attraction will build until they can't resist any longer...
So, yes, you can shave it off if you like, but you can no longer rely on ignorance to get you through your journey. You know that real men have beards, and pu$$y betas have baby shaven faces.