Hate my height....

LegacyUser

I'm 19 years old (male) and up till recently I always assumed that I was quite tall. Mainly because of the fact that my Father is very tall, well over 6ft, as well as all 8 of his brothers..

I naturally thought I was tall too... Until I decided to check my height for the first time in 8 years!

I found that I am barely 5'9'' (no shoes)..... I couldn't believe it... I was really devastated.. and still am. I thought I would at least touch 5'11...

Now because I was so sure that I was tall for most of my life it came to be the only thing I liked about myself.... Something I became proud of... And now I find it was no more than an illusion in my mind..

I know you might think this is silly, but ever since I revealed the truth to myself.. I feel less than a man now... I just feel horrible.. It's crushed my confidence..

Is there any chance I will continue to grow at the age I am now? I have read mixed opinions on this... That's all I can rest my hopes on now.

Thanks.

Nevyn

You don't stop growing until you are 21.

Firetrap

Aside from the growing issue, 5' 9" is a nice height. It's not caused you any problems up until now. Look on the positive side - if you date women, you won't have to stoop so far to kiss them

towel401

heh i`m only 5'8 nothing wrong with it

Queencake

When you're around your friends how do you feel? You're not short for a guy by any means. Average probably if not a lil above. Tbh I'd look on it as a good thing. I've gone out with tall guys. My ex was 6'4 and my current bf is 6'3. They have spoken of having sore necks from bending down to kiss girls. I've gone out with a short guy as in he'd have been 5'6 too. 5'9 is a good height for a fella.

I know it must upset you but you're still the same guy. There's a chance you've more growing left in you but don't rely on this. I think you're the perfect height tbh.

lolli

I think 5'9 is a nice height!! My boyfriend is that height and its perfect for me as i'm about 5ft 5.

I honestly think you are worrying about nothing its not like you are 5ft tall and going to be smaller than every woman you date!! You are a lovely height, no one is even going to think about your height really, it would be worse if you were too tall or too small, you are about average height so dont be worrying!!!

LolaLuv

5'9" seems pretty tall for an Irish guy, based on my observations. At any rate, it's a great height! Lots of times very tall men can intimidate women. That's not always the case, but sure it's true sometimes.

AnonoBoy

5'9" isn't tall but it's not short either.

A quick google shows that many people believe 5'7" is the average height of Irish men so you're a bit above average. And the average Irish woman is shorter than that so there you go.

Most girls if they're short mightn't want a really tall dude standing over them.

Don't let it bother you.

cantdecide

I find the bigger you are, the more assumptions people make about your character:mad: If you're very imposing, people will feel intimidated. I'm 6'4", stocky, a little heavy and trust me, I know I get the cold shoulder from new people a lot of the time (they can't possibly know I'm a bollix that quickly:p). People have told me that they were intimidated by my size when I first met them...

You're lucky, OP. I'd love to be 5'9". I'd say that it's about the ideal height, really.

cantdecide

Thaedydal wrote: »

You don't stop growing until you are 21.

I was in school with a guy that by leaving cert age was about 5'4"- he was a little skinny runt:D I met him after about a year and a half and he had grown a foot:eek: I'm not joking

Dwn Wth Vwls

So when you thought you were tall, you were happy. Now you think you're short and you're not happy. Your height hasn't changed, just what you're thinking. Try changing it back!

LegacyUser

As a short guy I understand that height can sometimes be a factor for success. But how important is it? I know that I wouldn't trade my values, my ambition, or my intelligence for an extra few inches, and I feel bad for anybody who would. If you are courageous and if you have integrity then you really have no need or inclination to worry about your height. Why? Because the advantages you get from having the correct attitudes and values in life are FAR MORE IMPORTANT than the advantages you get from being tall.

When you are 19 it's understandable that you would want to be as tall as possible. In terms of your long-term happiness, however, you are better off working on those personal attributes which will actually achieve that for you. If you are worried about girls, then ask yourself how much quality time you would like to spend with a girl who valued your height more than your personality. Even in terms of first impressions, your confidence and style are what will mostly determine your success or failure.

So there is nothing wrong with wishing you were taller, but the belief that it will hold you back is going to hold you back much more than your height will.

Zaph

I'm 5'9", and have been since I stopped growing quite a long time ago. It hasn't caused me any particular problems, nor has it made me feel smaller or inferior to anyone else. I have taller friends, none of whom have ever commented on me being particularly short. In fact the only person I can think of who ever commented on my height was a guy I knew who was about 5'6, and reckoned he'd like to be a couple of inches taller or, as he put it himself, "around your height, don't want to be greedy".

Zascar

I'm 5'5 and pretty skinny - I'd give my left testicle to be 5'9

Be happy with your height, and find other things to love about yourself

nice_guy80

i'm 5ft 10

would love to be 6ft

but i'm happy enough.

MizzLolly

Ah, what's with all the height dissatisfaction? You're not small OP. You sound pretty average by the standards of most Irish guys.

I don't understand why you're so disgusted by it really. I'm 19 and I'm barely 5 feet! I don't think it's a problem at all. Part of who I am really. Nothing has changed about who you were before you measured yourself.

Overheal

So when youre family was talking about how tall they were, youre sure it wasnt about how secretly long they all were, and the height thing was just a startling coincidence?

Im sure theres still plenty to like about ones self beyond his/her height.

Lockstep

I wouldn;t worry about it much to be honest. I genuinely thought I was tiny in school as I was only 6'0, dunno what they do to the Belgian water but the average height of the guy in my class was 6'3. Took me a long time to realize how relative height is.


5'9 is grand anyway, I really wouldn;t worry about it. Something like 5'8 is the average height for Irish guys so I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Headshot

:rolleyes:try being 6ft 3 and banging your head off everything

and the majority of women are around 5 ft

Helix

Thaedydal wrote: »

You don't stop growing until you are 21.

nor do you stop growing as soon as you hit 21

i grew 2 inches between 22 and 25

Queencake

{(-_-)}HeadShoT** wrote: »

and the majority of women are around 5 ft

Yeah, the average Irish female height is 5' 5. So in that area it shouldn't be an issue for the OP.

OP surely you knew looking at your dad and uncles and tall friends that you weren't "tall"?

But hun as you can tell from all the posters here. You shouldn't let it get to you. No one would ever describe you as short because you're not. Tall isn't some great thing. Some of the tall guys I know look lanky and clumsy with their height.

neuro-praxis

If it helps, Michael J. Fox is 5' 4" and I have been in love with him for as long as I can remember.

Oh and I'm female and 5' 11".

LolaLuv

neuro-praxis wrote: »

If it helps, Michael J. Fox is 5' 4" and I have been in love with him for as long as I can remember.

Oh and I'm female and 5' 11".

Ha, my friends and I were discussing him the other day. They said the same thing about him that you just did!

Helix

Queencake wrote: »

Some of the tall guys I know look lanky and clumsy with their height.

im six and a half foot tall and id much rather be 5 9

joeperry

I hope you don't smoke fags as they will stunt your growth.

Queencake

PillyPen wrote: »

Ha, my friends and I were discussing him the other day. They said the same thing about him that you just did!

Hmm... Such a fox. Damn. That pun was unintentional, I swear!

I always assumed I was a good 3 inches taller than I am. I was slightly bummed when I found out but I realised I was still as tall as ever and that it's only a number.

Headshot

i'll swap height with ya op anyday

OK-Cancel-Apply

Don't worry about it. As long as you are well proportioned, nobody will notice nor care. I'm 6'0", and I sometimes feel a bit like you when guys of 6'4" come along, but there's a certain 'awkwardness' associated will tall people too, so it all balances out. Just don't develop a complex, and start wearing giant Judge Dredd boots, or start getting hardcore tattoos. People generally only 'notice' someone's confidence.

Alanstrainor

Dwn Wth Vwls wrote: »

So when you thought you were tall, you were happy. Now you think you're short and you're not happy. Your height hasn't changed, just what you're thinking. Try changing it back!

+1 to that! Nothing has changed since you measured yourself, you're still as tall as you were before. Just because you now have a figure that's not as high as you liked should make any difference, you are you and that's all that matters.

BankMan

I'm 5'8/9 ish and if this is your biggest problem, you really don't have any problems

MagicMarker

Just buy a pair of new rocks...... (wanders off to retro forum)

OP, I really wouldn't worry about it, you're above average as far as I know. I'm 6'4 and it would be nice to hug a woman and be face to face without the aid of heels and a really thick book.

jen_23

Yes I agree with bankman you really don't have any problems at all!
5"9 is plenty tall. And as others have pointed out average height of irish girls is 5"5.
I went out with a guy about 6"3 years ago and owie!!! Current bf 5"10 perfect:)

LegacyUser

I'm 6ft 1"....It's too tall I think. Difficult to get decent jeans....have to bend down to talk to girls in pubs and clubs...sometimes this p*sses them off.
I'd prefer to be a little smaller and stockier.

You're lucky dude..

LegacyUser

The baddest man on the planet/ the walking tornado that was Iron Mike Tyson was 5'10 or something.

your average, whats so bad about that?

dlofnep

I'm 5'4". There are much worse things in life to get worried about. 5'9" is grand. I'll trade you.

Hmm I would have thought 5'9 is maybe a little shorter than average, but it definitely isn't 'short'. My ex was 6'2 and it was annoying having to stretch up to kiss him or stand on steps! My current boyfriend is 5'10 and I think it's perfect (I'm about 5'5). Perfect height for kissing, hugging, and I don't have to literally look up to him to talk to him.

af_thefragile

5'9" is a pretty decent height. Nothing to feel bad about that.
Most people are 5'9" and it doesn't make a big difference whether you're 6ft or a few inches less, you come under the average or slightly above average height for most people so yeah, stop worrying bout such small things!

Wagon

I'm 6ft. It only means I have more of a chance of hitting my head on low ceilings. 5'9 is grand

Agent Smith

{(-_-)}HeadShoT** wrote: »

:rolleyes:try being 6ft 3 and banging your head off everything

and the majority of women are around 5 ft

+1

LegacyUser

It's the OP here. I tried posting yesterday evening but it seems the post wasn't approved. Don't know why.

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate them all but I really don't think I will be able to get out of this horrible, 'less of a man' feeling... I feel just as bad as the day I first discovered my height..

I'm wondering if any of you would know much about this popular Growth Hormone drug.. I think it's called 'HGH'. Apparently you can get it via injection (approved from your doctor) or pills. I'd really like to give it a go as from what I've read it can be quite effective..

SpookyDoll

OP,
my first ex was 6 foot 3,
the ex after that was 5 foot 5.

My current boyfriend is 5 foot 9......

Guess which one is my fave?

Yes -5 foot 9 is pretty much perfect, I am 5 foot 6 so not small and
your height is perfect!

Monkey61

Unregistered wrote: »

I'm 19 years old (male) and up till recently I always assumed that I was quite tall. Mainly because of the fact that my Father is very tall, well over 6ft, as well as all 8 of his brothers..

I naturally thought I was tall too... Until I decided to check my height for the first time in 8 years!

Now because I was so sure that I was tall for most of my life it came to be the only thing I liked about myself.... Something I became proud of... And now I find it was no more than an illusion in my mind..

I know you might think this is silly, but ever since I revealed the truth to myself.. I feel less than a man now... I just feel horrible.. It's crushed my confidence..

OP this makes no sense at all unless you have never stood in front of a mirror or beside anyone else in your life. You are still the same height you were relative to all the people around you. If you thought you were 6', did you just think that other people were all 6'6 or something?

I'm very confused by how you thought you were tall too, considering you are presumably standing beside other people every day and noticing your height in relation to them. Presumably this would imply that you are taller than a lot of people around you - and if that's the case, then you still are.

You are being very silly.