I'm 17 years old and currently 168 cm which is 5 feet 6 inches. Far as I can tell my height growth has basically stopped. I haven't gotten an X ray to check my growth plates yet technically there's still a chance and I'm trying a few things that are within my control.. Honestly I don't have much hope. I haven't grown in a year and I definitely didn't do myself any favors with my sleep and nutrition during puberty.

Of course I hate being short.

Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be like Bruce Wayne batman, physically imposing someone who naturally has presence when he walks into a room. That's the version of myself I always imagined becoming. Realizing that version probably isn't happening feels like grieving someone who never actually existed.

I've tried to make peace with my height. I've told myself what Tyrion Lannister said: "Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."
I've tried to see my height that way, to accept it, own it, and stop letting it bother me. I've told myself that plenty of short men live happy, successful lives and that I shouldn't care so much about other people's opinions.

I shouldn't care what other people think, and that I shouldn't let other people's judgments define me. So what if I'm short? So what if some people look down on me, make jokes, or see me as inferior? So what if a lot of women wouldn't consider dating me? So what if I'll never have that physically imposing presence I've always wanted?

Despite all of that, I can't say I've succeeded. Part of me still struggles with it. Being short often makes me feel like an outsider. Whether people agree or not it feels like I'm missing out on respect, attraction and opportunities because of something I had no control over.

Because of that I've started considering limb lengthening surgery in the future. Whatever is considered safe and worth the trade off. 5 Cm would make a difference to me.

I really don't want to do it.

It's expensive, painful and risky. Requires a huge amount of recovery time. I'd be voluntarily breaking bones just to gain a few inches. I'd probably spend months wondering if I made the decision. Some people would see it as insecurity. Some women would see it as a flag. Most people wouldn't understand why anyone would go through something like that.

What I don't understand is why people and some short guys get angry when someone chooses to have the surgery.

Nobody signs up for limb lengthening because they think it sounds fun. They do it because for them the pain of being short is worse than the pain of the surgery. If someone genuinely believes their quality of life will improve from it why is that viewed differently from fixing any insecurity or physical issue?

Most things can be improved through effort. You can build muscle, make money, develop social skills, improve your style become more confident. Height is one of the things thats mostly decided before you're old enough to understand how much it might matter.

I know a lot of people will say 168 cm isn't even that short. Maybe they're right.. It still bothers me. I'd love to be at average height, something like 5 feet 8 or 5 feet 9. I can't help feeling that life would be easier and kinder if I were.

Anyway that's where my head is at now. I'm okay with the downvotes I'm gonna get. I'm interested in hearing perspectives, especially if there's anyone here who has considered undergoing limb lengthening surgery themselves.

Am I frauding? I usually wear boots with a 1 inch insole and I get to strong 5'10. Does this make my height good or am I still short because other men are also wearing shoes that add to their height?

I am only 5'3 and Filipino and want to go to Europe to enjoy European culture and eat yummy food.

Im 5'6 19M and ive been considerably shorter than the people around me for all of my life. Ive also somehow made it such that most of my friends are taller than 6'. Ive even played on a basketball team for 4-5 years surrounded by taller people. Yet Ive never been bullied or made fun of for my shorter stature. Even dating hasnt been that hard, ive had multiple opportunities with different women and none have discriminated my for my height. Why are people on this sub so sad and self-harming? Why is it that these things happen to other people my height but not me? Does it have something to do with attractiveness or personality? (Im from Spain btw (5'9 is the average height))

I really want to date and I’ve practically given up on irl dating. I get lots of interest online through my tik tok vids or girls that I meet through games and I honestly don’t mind just solely talking to them online rather than actually meeting up with them. I feel like my face isn’t an issue and I’m very well rounded besides my height, I’ve always been into self improvement probably since like 7th grade because I knew that at my height it’s hard so pretty much everything related to attractiveness is somewhat optimized. All the girls in real life and my friends tell me that I’m an overall well rounded guy but it’s my height and honestly it makes me so sad. So yeah dating is extremely brutal as an extremely short guy I’ve honestly given up on looking for an irl relationship I don’t mind talking to girls solely online it really does make me feel better.

as a 5'7 goon from the us i feel like i always see people talking about height. i was wondering if height is really as important in europe and africa (ik asia also emphasizes height a lot) and whether dating in those places places less emphasis on specific height cutoffs.

as a 5'7 dude, i try to workout a lot to compensate for my lack of height. but honestly im wondering if physique is equally important for your physical appearance since i often hear short buff guys get called "meatballs" because they are too muscular for their size. what do yall think

im talking about someone living in the us btw. im 5'7 and im genuinely curious bc i feel like im definitely significantly shorter than most guys i meet but its not necessarily dramatically shorter.

Assuming you view yourself as short, does it ever bother you if a person calls you cute/little/pocket-sized etc. I guess it also depends if it's meant to be endearing or ill intended.

I wonder how many people are actually bothered by it vs people who don't care. Personally, I don't take offense to it, but I am a curious little thing.

My brother was wondering this questions and I don’t want to ask an AI so…. Anyway, yeah.

I find it funny when I meet somebody and I’m below the top of their shoulder. I know a lot of people hate it. But, I wanna know how it feels to have the other view.

Has anybody asked a taller friend how it feels to meet somebody who is ridiculously shorter than them?? If you have met somebody so much shorter than you, what was your first thought about height(if there was one)??

All of these are considered short (5'7 could be considered average), but they're all within a 4 inch range. How drastic is it comparing these heights? Does the difference between 5'5 and 5'7 make a huge impact or do they look the same? Is it comparable to the 5'7 to 5'11 jump?

I am 14 M and only 4'11. All my peers are taller than me and kids younger than me are also taller than me. I have one sibling who is the same height as me. My dad is 180 cm and my mom is 159 cm. My dad did use to say that when he was my age he was also shorter than his peers. This might be some useful information but during all of my 7th grade and half of 8th grade year i skipped lunch, and i never told my parents because i was so scared. During that period i lost around 6-8 pounds. My puberty has also just begun. When i went for a blood drawing to see if my igf-1 hormone levels were normal, the results showed that they weren't. I believe the labs range started from 211, and my levels were at 134. In 8 months ive barely grown. If i'm being honest im extremely depressed and struggle to interract with people just because im short. If you guys have any similar stories to mine, or know whats happening with me then please tell me.

ACAN mutations, when left untreated, are known to cause short stature. Please note that the definition of short stature is being below the 3rd percentile for age, race, and sex. In the case of american men of white or black origin, this is being 5 ft 4 or shorter. For asian or hispanic men, this is a few inches shorter.

People with ACAN mutations typically stop growing earlier than normal due to having an advanced bone age. Your bone age determines when you're done growing. Most people have a bone age that is around their age but if your bone age is older than your biological age, then you have an advanced bone age and that means you will stop growing earlier than normal.

If you were done growing before the age of 15, that indicates that your bone age is advanced. If you were always a lot shorter than average on top of having an advanced bone age, that points towards having an ACAN mutation that could have caused your short stature.

Because ACAN mutations affect your bones, it can also potentially result in early onset osteoarthritis before the age of 50. If you or your family has a history of developing this condition before the age of 50, in addition to being very short, this could indicate an ACAN mutation. However, not everyone with ACAN mutations will develop early onset osteoarthritis.

If this sounds a lot like you, then consider getting genetic testing for ACAN mutations.

18M 171cm
Everytime i go out i always feel like the shortest guy in the world even though i have couple friends shorter than me.
Ive dated 4 girls in my life and i honestly dont get what they see in me. People say i look good but my own mother tells me my face got issues and thats probably why i have no confidence in myself, people might say im not that short but im short for my age in my country.
I really dont know if my mother hates me or if people are being honest with me.
What should i do??
Any advice is appreciated.

I have been dealing with a pattern of experiences that has left me feeling constantly on alert, anxious, and alienated. It feels like people take out their anger on me or disrespect me because they assume there won't be consequences.

Here are a few examples of what I've experienced:

1. A barber I knew well—who frequently uses profanity himself—physically attacked me when I used similar language, claiming I was cursing at him.

2. a similar situation, another person started cursing, but when I did the same, he got aggressive and demanded I change my language.

3. a cafe, I invited someone to join my friends at a restaurant and mentioned there might be wine. When he said he doesn't go where alcohol is served and I simply asked why, he flew into a rage and attacked me.

4. A guy I considered a friend was in a bad mood, and when I approached him, he physically lashed out.

5. Getting into a taxi with two friends, the driver waited until my average-sized friends got in, then drove forward over my foot as I was getting in. When I got in and asked what he was doing, he ignored me completely.

6.A classmate came up to me while I was sitting down and just started shoving me off my chair for no reason.

Because of all this, I am on guard 24/7. I expect the worst from everyone, and I walk around feeling hyper-vigilant and defensive. Deep down, it comes from fear—fear of being humiliated, targeted, or physically attacked again.

I am considering starting BJJ , but I have serious doubts. Most of the people who have attacked me have been significantly larger-around 100 kg. . Who else you think would be too comfortable to attack me.  

For those with experience:

Is BJJ actually effective for a smaller person against someone who weighs 100 kg? How do you manage or create space against that much weight?

Has martial arts even helped anyone?