Rant: Desserts--To Share Or Not To Share?

Are you willing to share dessert with your dining companions? Or do you want your own individual dessert whenever you dine out? 

Last week, I had lunch at the Pellana Prime Steakhouse in Peabody, one of my favorite restaurants. The three of us enjoyed a delicious meal, from the complementary Popovers & breads to the Clams Casino, from the Filet Mignon with Seared Scallops & Lobster Risotto to the Seared Swordfish. To top off the lunch, we also opted for a couple desserts.

The Chocolate Cake was huge, composed of seven layers with a Belgian Chocolate Ganache. It's not a dessert that most people could easily consume on their own, despite it being delicious and a chocolate lover's dream. 

I selected the Bread Pudding (pictured at the top), made with chocolate chips and accompanied by a Bourbon Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. It too was huge, and probably would have been sufficient for three people to share. It was also quite delicious, and as a big fan of bread pudding, I was impressed. The Dessert menu didn't mention the size of this dessert, so if you had planned to eat this on your own, as I had, you might have been amazed at its large size. 

Fortunately, the three of us were more than willing to share these desserts, although we still ended up taking some of it home. However, not everyone is so willing to share dessert, or even savory courses. Anecdotally, it seems that women are more willing to share dishes than men. I'm unsure of the reason for this division, but it might have to do with sharing being considered a more intimate act. 

Sharing has never bothered me, and I certainly know a number of men who it doesn't bother either. However, I have spoken to chefs who indicated men tend to not share dishes with other men, although they are more willing to share dishes with women, especially wives and girlfriends. 

Sizable desserts, like the ones served at Pellana, are intended to be shared. They are too large for most people to consume, so if you dislike sharing, what would you do? Would you simply eat until you were full, and then take the rest home? Or would you bite the bullet and share? And if you dislike sharing, what are your reasons?