Any Other Guys wish they were short/shorter
21d 15h ago by programming.dev/u/cactus_head in asklemmyWhenever I tell someone that I wish i was shorter, they are always taken a back(being masculine presenting). I am just over 6 ft, in my country, that's a bit above average height. Its not like I am a gaint or anything but I am always aware how intimidating I look. Also, the country where I live doesn't feel like it build for people my size. Mini-van for transportation that squish my knees, ceiling that are a bit too low for my taste, showers space that's too small.
But also, I feel like a bumbling idiot (I suspect I have Dysprixa) and hate standing out so much. I may have Body dysmorphia. Its like how I would like to be seen and how I feel, are the exact opposite to how I seen. I feel small, soft, in a relationship, I would prefer to take on the "feminine " role. I feel nothing like a man.
Anyone else relates to this.
Same height as me ... I'm above average in Europe, but here in Vietnam most men only come up to my chin. I hugged one of the managers at work during Lunar New Year, and he ended up in my boobs, lol
I'm glad you enjoy the attention, there are times I'd like to be able to blend in TBH. Rocking heels and towering over most men is fantastic as an option, too >:-)
Short guy here, do you really?
Maybe? Obviously it might work out differently than I would like, so there is that.
Theres things about being short that arent imemdiately apparent, as I assume there is about being tall too. Unfortunately one of the things about being short is people are less likely to take you seriously. Man or woman, people tend to take taller people more seriously and associate them with confidence, authority, and competence a lot more than shorter people. There is also a wage gap between shorter and taller folks.
People treat short people like children so often it's infuriating. God damn so much.
I would imagine short women get an extra dose of that infantalization too which has gotta suck.
Yes, I can attest it does suck!
I'm 1.85m tall and do feel like it's a pretty good height. I was never aware that that counts as tall. But at the same time, i don't think i ever got anything out of it, other than being able to reach a bit better in the supermarket or something. Having more leg room in a car and so on sounds neat.
It's like white privilege (but obviously less profound): The benefits are in what doesn't happen to you: No jokes about your height. No failed job interviews. No romantic difficulties because of your height. People don't constantly interrupt, or act like you're not even there. That kind of thing.
Yes, but that cuts both ways. The number of cars that really don't fit at 185cm.
Short person: Securing employment and finding love are harder for me.
Tall person: I know exactly what you mean, sometimes my knees bump against my luxury sports car :(
Your argument would be stronger if you left out "luxury sports". Don't get me started on flying coach.
I think we all, tall and small alike, can agree the airlines can get fucked with the way they jam inhuman numbers of seats into the airplane. You know they bribe Congress with free flights, to keep themselves carved out from disability -access laws and even basic decency for their passengers.
Fitting perfectly into an economy airliner seat is 10/10, the once every 3-4 years that I do that. But cars have their own issues when you're below the average size: Bad sightlines, arm rests too high, seatbelts that saw at your throat for the whole trip rather than cross your shoulder, increased injury and mortality rates because of those seatbelts and airbags, which are optimized for taller drivers, controls out of reach, and such.
One size fits none. :(
Interesting. To be fair, every conversion is over for me if a potential date asks me about my height. My girlfriend now is pretty tall herself and she never cared and she told me before we even met that she doesn't care. People do constantly interrupt me, which, i don't really know where that is from. Short jokes is absolutely correct, but weirdly enough, i never saw myself as tall, untill someone pointed it out when i was like 29. I thought i was very avarage, maybe below average, because i was always the youngest in my class, therefore the shortest. I had a roomate who was really short and i did always made short jokes about him, not really in a mean way, but in hindsight, obviously not cool. But i never saw it as a downside, or that people are even bothered that they are shorter. His girlfriend was also almost as tall as me, so again, i just thought that she doesn't care, no one should.
Boo hoo, car is too small!
Get use to it you circus freak. Us toddlers will just have to suffer through being made fun of for something we have no control over or worse, entirely ignored as if we don't even exist.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting into my tiny ass car and driving it to the airport where I will comfortably fly in the cheapest coach seats possible. While I'm waiting in the airport, I'll just buy some silk cashmere sweaters on ebay for $30.
Every time I sit in an airplane, in a car with someone in the back seat, or buy clothes yes. And when I was a kid/teen it got really tiresome having everyone I met over 40 years old asking me if I played basketball.
I wish I was an inch shorter. Im exactly 6ft and nobody believes me when I tell them because thats the "minimum man height" and people immediately assume I'm an overcompensating manlet despite standing there visibly being as tall as I say I am.
Might just start saying 5'11 instead. See how lying to peoples faces works out.
Be ready for a different type of comment pushing back then.
I'm a 5'9"ish woman and routinely have guys insist I'm taller than 6' because they're shorter than me and they're 6' so I must be like 6'2".
My brother does this to me.
Can confirm. Am same 5'9".
Like there are two measuring systems. One for guys that rounds up by a few inches. What also is funny is I am keeping my height better than my husband (yoga really rocks for that), but he is always taller than me in his mind, and probably always will be.
I'm a 5'3 dude and sometimes I'll have other short dudes be like "No you're not! I'm 5'8 and you're only like 2 inches shorter than me!". As if being 5'8 is even sufficient for anyone who actually cares about our height.
Don’t worry, over time your spine will compress and you’ll be 5’11” sooner than you can say “AARP”!
Just start using cm instead
I am 5'11'' in the sense that it's true enough and I've never cared to double check.
Telling people you're just under the line can be a good litmus test for what kind of person you're dealing with. Even if I were 6+, I'd still say I was 5'11''.
Tbh yeah, a bit. I'm 6'7''. I'd be totally fine with being a few inches shorter. Being so tall does have a lot of advantages but I have a hard time finding slim cut pants in my size, office chairs that work for me or cars with enough leg room. I even had to pay a lot of money for a bicycle. I think the sweet spot is probably somewhere around 6'4''.
6'4 cis gay man here. God, what I wouldn't give to be a foot shorter -- for one, there are the practical concerns like low basement ceilings and economy cars (the world is built for people 6ft and under); but then there's the fact that most gay men who are tops have the notion (expressly stated or heavily implied) that they want a short, skinny femboy bottom they can manhandle. Which is fine, if that's your thing. And it'd be totally fine if I were a top -- but I'm not. I want to be held and feel smol in someone's arms, which I can't really achieve. Being neither short, nor skinny, nor particularly inclined to go topping, it's hell for dating. :D
I want to be held and feel smol in someone's arms, which I can't really achieve.
I'm straight but I felt that man. I hope you find the one.
oh, I've found I don't mesh well with others for a variety of reasons, I've since given up on dating. Thanks though. The height just ticks me off because there are lots of things you can change about yourself with genuine effort, if you were wanting to go about changing yourself (for your own sake or for others); but no amount of self-help or positive thinking, nothing is ever gonna make me any shorter.
Well, unless...
... no, nevermind.
Don't give up man. I've met who I thought were the most irritating and unlovable people who are in a happy relationship. If they can find someone to love, so can you. I believe in you.
the world is built for people 6ft and under
For people under 6ft and above 5'4" or so*
Well, yeah, it isn't built for the seriously vertically challenged either, but everyone thinks being tall is soooo much better. It really isn't -- for every high shelf or tall counter that might piss someone short off, I can point to a basement I've had to stand in, a low counter I've had to hunch over, or a vehicle I've had to sit in that pissed me off just as much if not more so, especially because this usually caused me physical pain (bumping my head, crushing my legs, and so on) -- whereas if you're too short, I imagine you just sigh and go "damnit, I need a stepladder. Again."
I need a stepladder to do pretty much anything in my home. Also, I get hit directly by close-range ass and pit sweat when in public/trains/escalators, so there's that. I do think the air at least is better up there.
6'4" here.
I wouldn't say I'd want to be shorter, but I have definitely experienced a lot of what you describe.
In addition to being intimidating because I'm big, I also have real bad resting murder face. It used to bother me, but my wife is 5'1" (on a good day), and we've used it to her advantage.
She's often dismissed or not taken seriously. When she is being disrespected or expects to be, she brings me along. Everyone always treats her with respect when I'm standing behind her.
I don't like taking the train because my knees are pushed up against the seat in front of me. I'm also uncomfortable in most cars. I'm long in the torso, so even in an SUV I have to lean the seat way back to fit in. I currently drive a 2nd generation Honda Ridgeline, and it's the first time in decades where I have space above my head.
Clothing is difficult. I buy my clothing online because I can never find more than one or two options that fit in a store. I used to go to a outlet store because they had such a massive inventory, I could actually find things in my size. My shirts tend to be like tents because I usually can't find the extra tall sizes, so I end up getting a regular 3x so the shirt reaches down to my waist.
There's another downside to being tall that you didn't mention. Years ago my son (taller than me) noticed that you don't see many tall, elderly people. I had to break the news to him that, statistically speaking, being taller means dying earlier.
Bigger people have more cells in their body. More cells means more chances for cancer. More cancer means shorter life.
So, if you're miserable being tall, take some consolation from the knowledge that it won't last long.
I’m a pretty average sized person but I’ve stared having bespoke clothing made for me. It’s frequently not as expensive as I initially thought it would be and there is a magic feeling to slipping into a pair of pants that just fits.
so I end up getting a regular 3x so the shirt reaches down to my waist.
the problem with that in my experiences is that most companies just make the shirts wider, as opposed to longer. I've had times looking at shirts in the store where the there was like an inch of difference in length between large and 3x large, but the width difference was astronomical.
JCPenny seems to be dying out, but their online always seemed to have a good collection of tall and big clothes if you're looking for stores.
So, if you’re miserable being tall, take some consolation from the knowledge that it won’t last long.
Not soon enough
most companies just make the shirts wider, as opposed to longer
No doubt. I've got a bunch of 3XL shirts that are at least 10 inches wider than I need them to be to get 1-2 inches of extra length.
I think there's also an assumption that if you're tall it's because your legs (and arms) are long, like a giraffe. I'm not built like that. I'm just big.
Yeah, makes finding clothes super hard.
and then you wear it forever when you do, and refuse to give it up, even when its falling apart, because you literally have never found another shirt that fits like it.
I would prefer to take on the "feminine " role. I feel nothing like a man.
I can't tell you anything about yourself, but I think you should investigate this feeling further. Personally, my dislike of being tall made more sense to me when I realized I'm not a man.
No. I kind of used to, growing up, because being lankier than all the other teenagers is kind of cumbersome and makes it hard to interact with the world around you, designed for smaller people. It's not that big a deal tbh.
I more wish that buses, cars and doorways were "me" sized.
Nowadays I feel plenty small. For people who are drawn to height, your height is never enough lol.
Edit: I've just remembered - bone problems. You know we get more bone problems because of how tall we are/how fast we grow? It's ridiculous.
My personality is so shit that tallness is kind of my crutch for navigating social situations. What I wish is that I didn't need it
Hey! Tall high five.
I like you detective. Have a nice day.
Thanks, Eyes :) you as well
Charles de Gualle, who was 196 cm/6’5”, once said1, “We giants are never at ease with others. The armchairs are always too small, the tables too low. The impression one makes too strong.”
I’m slightly taller than he was and I’d add the three concussions I’ve had simply due to height. Hitting my head in my own home is a truly miserable experience.
Or car doorways when getting in or out.
I'm 6'7. Yes. I wish I was shorter.
I'd be able to have a normal childhood if i wasnt tall, instead of sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else play in the play places that have a max height/size limit to enter.
I wouldnt have a terrifying phobia of ceiling fans.
I wouldnt be crippled for days after having to travel on an airplane.
I wouldnt have a bad back form having to bend over almost double just to do normal everyday things like cook and wash my hands.
If you fall below the average height, the world can relatively easily be adapted so you still fit into it with simple things like step stools and what have you.
But above average height? No, you don't fit in, and theres no way at all to adapt to you. If you want a properly proportioned space, you're gonna have to have $$$$ to build it for yourself, and listen to the constant complaints of friends and family who don't want to visit because your house is to hard to use.. completely utterly oblivious to the fact that all of their houses have been too hard to use your entire life and they've never given a single copper fuck about it.
I wouldnt have a terrifying phobia of ceiling fans.
I have broken five ceiling fans. two with my knuckles, two with my wrists, one with my head (it was in a trailer).
I live in a house with 10' ceilings now, so not so much of a problem unless I go to the basement (watch your head).
I wouldnt be crippled for days after having to travel on an airplane.
I refuse to fly anywhere I could take a train instead for this exact reason.
I wouldnt have a bad back form having to bend over almost double just to do normal everyday things like cook and wash my hands.
don't forget bathroom mirrors. I haven't seen my reflection above my chin in a year because I just got tired of bending over to see myself. when I shave it's just easier to use the selfie cam on my phone.
don’t forget bathroom mirrors. I haven’t seen my reflection above my chin in a year because I just got tired of bending over to see myself. when I shave it’s just easier to use the selfie cam on my phone.
Oh yeah, that reminds me of the chronic neckpain from being in a car and having to tilt your head so theres enough buffer space that you dont crush your spine against the roof on every bump
I feel this. I'm 6'4" (196cm) and while I don't wish I were shorter, I wouldn't want to be taller. Right now I can still buy clothes, but if I were a little taller I would have to go to the specialty shop. Vehicles are so annoying, and elbow rests are too low, and at work I'm always hunched over.
Also, shoe size. I wear size 47 in France. Not a single shop sells that size in my city. Seriously. Not one. Even the specialty shop stops at 46.
That second to last sentence, "I feel nothing like a man" stands out to me, as a transgender woman. Are you confident that you are a man? Just something to consider!
Height isn't a problem for me (I am short) but many taller trans women have gender dysphoria regarding their height.
I'm 5'3 so no. It's pretty great though other than the negative social aspects.
I’m 6’3” and short among the cousins in my family. I don’t mind being a couple inches shorter in conversation. I get a little self conscious when I’m a head or more above everyone else in the room, which is a semi regular thing. I want to be shorter when I bonk my head on things that are low hanging for me. If I was any taller it would be even more difficult to find clothing.
I wouldn’t mind being a couple inches shorter, around 6 feet even.
I'm barely 5'2". Shut the fuck up and count your blessings.
"My lobster too buttery"-ass post 😡
At least we get to be more fuel efficient, so there's that...
ewww sea roaches
I'm around 6'1 or 2. I'd say overall, I'm comfortable with the body I have (like I don't think I have a dysmorphia issue), but it can be a literal pain when I'm visiting Japan. I learned the hard way that some older homes have head clearance of exactly 6' in doorways. If I were just a little shorter, this would not be an issue. In fact, if I were taller, I'd probably see the obstruction better and know to duck? But as it is, I develop a nasty bruise after repeatedly hitting the exact same spot on my forehead over and over again. Otoh it's nice to have some breathing space above the teeming masses of people packed onto a subway car.
yeah i often think about being 75 cm short, like a gibbon ape


they're so cute <3
Can't relate to be honest. I'm just over 6'1 and I love it. I also don't necessarily relate my physical appearance to being intimidating. A friendly demeanor and a smile go a long way.
Honestly, I never thought much about my height. I find it baffling that people would pass up on someone because of their height. I like tall women, I like short women, I just like women. She can be taller than me or shorter than me. It's far from a deal-breaker either way.
For context, I'm a slightly feminine heterosexual man. I don't think your height should play into that at all. I'm 5 feet, 11 inches (Sorry I'm American) tall. I think your height matters more to you than it does most other people. We are our own worst critics. Try to love yourself and be kind to yourself.
If you worried about being perceived as intimidating try to be aware of your body language. Sitting with your arms crossed tells people you don't want to talk. It's best to sit with your hands on your legs. I don't remember where I read that but it might be helpful.
In conclusion, your shouldn't be worried about your height and you should also love yourself. I wish you the best m8.
Like i said in another comment, i never even thought about my own height untill i was like 29 and a woman pointed out that she especially liked how tall i was. I thought it was a joke, because in my mind, i was normal tall. Because to me, it was normal. Never thought about it, and i still just don't care, except when i bump my head somewhere. It's weird that people do care ao much. I get it when you're tall or short enough that you have trouble finding clothing or helth related issues.
Usually no, I generally wish I was taller. Or at least my legs were longer; I'm 5'9, but my legs are unusually short, due to a bunch of surgeries I had as a kid. If my legs were 'normal' I'd be over 6 feet tall.
The only time I've wished I was shorter, was to fit in to smaller cars. Recently, I tried to drive a kei car called an Autozam, tiny little sports car, and I had to take my shoes off to comfortably use the pedals. My head hitting the ceiling is slightly problematic in a car that has gullwing doors.
I can understand that. I'm 5'9" with an average build, and it's really convenient that everything is made in exactly my size. Being much taller or shorter would just be annoying.
No my short stature is my one insecurity
I'm 177cm (5' 10). Thats exactly average height for men in my country. But I'm always feeling like the world is built for shorter people.
All work surfaces and countertops are way too low. I get a sore back working in the kitchen chopping veges or washing up in the sink because I am slightly bent over all the time.
I need an adjustable height desk at work because when I sit on the chair, my keyboard is too low and I need to hunch my shoulders to type. I need to adjust the desk up by 15cm just to ensure my forearms are horizontal.
When I'm sweeping with a broom or mopping, I need to hold it all the way up at the top the handle, and still need to crouch my back slightly to use it. I feel like they need to make the handles just 20cm longer for normal height people to use them while standing upright.
Every car I drive I need to adjust the seat all the way back otherwise I can't get my legs in.
I couldn't imagine how awful it would be like to be any taller than I am.
I'm 6'1", it's right about the perfect height for a guy.
I would say that I do have fairly long legs, so there's a lot of cars that I am not comfortable in, and cheap plane rides are generally misery.
But other than that, it's not like I'm so tall that I'm bumping my head on things all of the time, and anyone who is so picky about height that they wouldn't date me for being 6'1" is the kind of person I wouldn't want to date, so that works out as well.
I'm 194cm (6'3") and my God do I wish I were a bit shorter. I would fit a lot more places, my back wouldn't hurt doing the dishes from bending over, my feet wouldn't hang off my bed and get cold all the time.
I'm 6'6" and yes.
I'm not always the tallest in the room when everyone is standing, but once we're all sitting down, I'm the only one sticking up above everybody.
Normally when I'm sitting in a theater, I do everything I can to avoid blocking someone's view (slouching, sliding down in the chair, leaning, etc). It ends up being incredibly uncomfortable.
One time a friend gave me and my wife tickets to a show (live musical theater). There were a couple drunk, obnoxious women behind us talking through the show. It pissed me off so much I sat up straight in my seat and stayed that way for the rest of the show. It's the only time I've ever done that.
They started complaining about me blocking their view, and left during intermission to complain to someone (what did they expect the theater manager to do? "Excuse me, me sir, but you're blocking these 'ladies' view. Would you mind removing your head?'). They eventually returned to their seats.
By the time the show ended and people stood up to leave, I was pretty angry. I turned around. I don't know what I was planning to do. It's not like I'm going to beat some drunken idiots to death in a crowded theater. However, I know I was considering stepping over my seat to get into their row.
The older woman was too drunk to notice, but the younger one was sober enough to see the look on my face. She hustled them out.
My wife has told me that I've terrified people even when she confirmed I was being perfectly calm. I can't imagine how frightening it is when I'm actually enraged.
Similar height, here. Nah, I'm good. It was awkward enough learning how to control my current body, and I'd hate to have to go through it all over again. Plus I can't recall my height ever causing issues, other than way back when I had I really short GF; Half of me felt very lonely
Slightly over the average here but within 5cm, feels like a decent height. Most doorways don't pose a risk of head injury.
I'm very average height, 5' 10" in hamburger units, 178 cm. But I grew about an inch, in the first year at university, to my current height, and to be honest have often felt a little"too big" ever since.
6"3" and yes, Clothes, shoes hard to find and airplanes are shrinking.
I'm 6'3" / 190 cm and I would love to be just a little shorter. My back and knees aren't having fun anymore.
Mate I'm 195 I just wanna be able to buy pants and shoes normally again🥺
YES, ALL THE TIME.
I'm ~6'1" with a long waist and it's pretty ass.
What's a long waist? Isn't it like kind of a point/line not a line/plane
Like more vertical height in torso, not just long legs. Lots of room between crotch and natural waist. I am like that, but tall clothing seems to think tall women are short women on stilts. I do not need more inseam, I need higher rise because I'm long waisted.
6'0" here, so not that tall. For me there's a small component of wishing to be more a little more feminine sometimes, but all things considered being a big strong man rules.
I wish i were slightly shorter because this world is built for average sized people. Flying always winds up being an exercise in quantifying the value of my own suffering. Is 4-8 hours of claustrophobia, leg cramps, and general lack of dignity worth an extra $400? Sometimes, absolutely. Do i have an extra $400? hell no. I don't even fly that often and i have strong preferences for aircraft. I will cry if i wind up getting tricked into economy class on a 737-800 again. The seats are 16 inches wide and i think the pitch is something like 28".
I also can't comfortably sit in a miata unless the top is down. I daily drove an AW11 for a couple of years and while it was tons of fun i looked like Mr Incredible driving to work and I hit my head constantly. Kitchen counters are way too short for me, i can't imagine the back pain for taller people who like to cook.
I'm 6' 8" and wish I had met a giantess in my youth...

I am 6 feet tall male and while I don’t feel particularly tall, I am still slightly taller than the statistical average American male, making it rather inconvenient. Clothes are too short, cars and power equipment is too short, bed is too short, tables, chairs and countertops are too short, ceilings are too short…
Kind fit. 6’3” here. Most of my life I was just enough taller than average to be uncomfortable, but normal in my family.
But now it’s more than uncomfortable. My knees are shot, making it hard to get in and out of cars. Of all things using the bathroom sink hurts my back because “standard height” is too low. Mostly work though, sitting in chairs that won’t adjust properly.
Then again, some of that is because I’m also big. I can’t really blame anyone other than me for that
But yeah, tall white dude definitely benefits
Average height guy here. Nope never shorter. Yep. Wanted to be taller.
I'm 5'10 or 70 inches tall. Being average makes you kinda invisible.