“The idea is not to have a long beard, its not to cut the beard.”
Well, not quite – at least according to Chabad-Lubavitch philosophy.
According to a certain Web site that has the same name as the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch,
The length of a beard is a G-d given gift, as it represents the abundance of Divine revelation that the person receives from the level of Dikna, and hence the longer the beard the more of a blessing it is from G-d. Therefore, those that fold the beard [to make it seem shorter] [Rebbe Rashab in Toras Shalom p. 94 (Hebrew)].
Leaving the beard in its natural state despite the ridicule brings a person the revelation of the inner part of his soul. Folding the beard due to so called holy intentions [of being of acceptable appearance to others] is an act of self denial and opposes G-dliness.