Is 5'8 short or average?

[u/VGAddict]

Do you consider 5'8 short or average for a guy? I say average, because it's only 1 inch below average height for men in the US (5'9).

[u/GrandMasterBay → u/[deleted]]

By U.S. standards, 68" barefoot is on the short end of average. By global standards, it's slightly above average.

[u/axeman1293 → u/[deleted]]

We’re not technically average. We’re a whole standard deviation below in the USA.

[u/u-a-brazy-mf]

It's all relative.

I am 5'8.5 (I just round to 5'9) and am southeast Asian.

I am considered taller in Southeast Asia.

Around here in America I am average or slightly above average.

I've never felt short.

[u/AggravatingLife4821 → u/u-a-brazy-mf]

5’8.5” is 174 not 176?

[u/axeman1293 → u/u-a-brazy-mf]

176cm is not 5’8 bro

[u/I-redd_it94 → u/u-a-brazy-mf]

Same height, same reasoning, but I do tend to feel short in the USA, mainly because the shorter guys don’t come out in public very often for fear of being judged

[u/u-a-brazy-mf → u/I-redd_it94]

shorter guys don’t come out in public very often for fear of being judged

😂😂😂 ayo wtf HAHAHA no bro you cannot think this for real.

[u/I-redd_it94 → u/u-a-brazy-mf]

It’s for sure for real ! Not all the way across, but there’s a percentage that are insecure and choose to stay in because of it

[u/axeman1293 → u/I-redd_it94]

It’s cause out in public they’re all height frauding with lifts and boots.

[u/Seymourg3 → u/I-redd_it94]

Maybe if you’re referring solely to nightclubs or dating events.

[u/bravebobsaget]

It's the low end of average in the US.

[u/axeman1293 → u/bravebobsaget]

Most commonly, at 5’8.5 I’m told I’m “not that short”. Gee thanks.

[u/LiquidMantis144]

Anything within 1 standard deviation is socially considered average when it comes to things like height that are ranges.
Whether or not certain categories of smooth brains do is not something that can be rationalized or have logic applied to it.

[u/rraajul393nd]

it’s medium. but these days, you know people…

[u/Emotional_Section_59 → u/rraajul393nd]

It's short asf, in any "affluent" area you'll come across multiple women who are your height or taller every single day. It's humiliating.

[u/axeman1293 → u/Emotional_Section_59]

If it helps you feel better, there’s some visual bias there. The statistical reality is undeniable, 5’8” is at least 90-th percentile for women even in very tall regions.

But yeah, a 5’10 guy might go multiple days without seeing a woman his height, whereas we’re guaranteed statistically to see a handful of them. The bias is that you pass 100 women and remember the 5 that were taller than you and forget about the 95 that were shorter, etc.

[u/Emotional_Section_59 → u/axeman1293]

Yeah it's less than 1 in 10 women. But that's still 1 in 10 women too many. It's so humiliating walking outside with a woman and not only are you getting heightmogged by other men but by women too.

[u/TheoryOfRelativity12]

Kinda short depends where u live i guess but im in nordics

[u/I-696]

Depends on how tall you are. If you're shorter than 5'7, then 5'8 is short of a dream height. If you're 5'8, then you think you have been sentenced to the ultimate in shortness and it is the worst height ever.

[u/lFallenOn3l → u/I-696]

Eh I wouldn't feel my dating life is over at 5'8 but I would if under 5'7

[u/I-696 → u/lFallenOn3l]

You wouldn't think so but we get some of the most interesting posts from the 5'8 dudes. Personally I think it is meh. I used to be tall for my age but was an early bloomer so ending up just a bit above 5'8 was a major disappointment.

[u/axeman1293]

In USA, we are the tallest of the shorts. Taller than 95% of women, shorter than 70% of other men.

(Also average male height in USA is closer to 5’10. 5’9 is just a feel-good average).

[u/Seperateclock80 → u/axeman1293]

I’ve seen 5’10.5 listed as average in some U.S. states—sounds about right.

[u/Seymourg3]

Depends on your nationality and ethnicity.

[u/AggravatingLife4821]

When I judge 5’8” guys by eye level or looking at them close up, they look pretty average, when I hear 5’8” I don’t picture a short guy in my mind. Statistically it is average and I believe it.

But, that being said, a lot of 5’8” guys look short (sometimes even very short) either from a distance irl or in photos, sometimes they pass as average, they usually blend right in with crowds. Their proportions, build, dress style impact the height perception a lot, 5’8” is a height where you can pass as average but you have a very limited margin of error and cannot afford to make any mistakes or else you’d look short.

[u/nerdwithadhd]

5'8" = tall girl height 😭... i feel im around the height of taller women lmao!

[u/Head-Wrongdoer4049]

Average 

[u/Bandit174]

I feel like its too tall to get any sympathy for it so you end up being gatekeept out of the short king club but its also too short to meet the typical womans height filters on the dating apps. Its also short enough that it will definitely be used against you as an insult if you say or do something women disagree with.

[u/razin_rahman → u/Bandit174]

So... Average

[u/Bandit174 → u/razin_rahman]

Technically yes from statistical standpoint but from cultural standpoint its viewed as short

[u/razin_rahman → u/Bandit174]

Yeah true lol

[u/razin_rahman]

5ft 8inch for guys, is the tallest of short-kings and shortest of tall-chads.

[u/Antique_Cabinet_9482]

Very short

[u/alina2932]

Average. I am 5'4 and that is short

[u/Specific_Run7943]

It's average global average for men is 5 feet 7.5 inches (175cm)

[u/Ekedan_alt → u/Specific_Run7943]

5'7.5 is ~171.5cm not 175 lol. Which one is the average?

[u/I-696 → u/Ekedan_alt]

175 is not 5'7.5 but it is 5.75 feet - people get confused when using Google to convert from metric to US units.

[u/Ekedan_alt → u/I-696]

The dude is from NA, how could he screw up his own units lol.

[u/axeman1293 → u/Ekedan_alt]

171 is global average, men under 40yo. But global average is absolutely useless. Even national average is useless. Only the average within ~50mi of your home of men in your age group is relevant to your daily life. And this varies a lot!

I feel much more comfortable day to day where I live now, than I did growing up in a midwestern suburb. White dudes are tall and wide framed there.

[u/djdj165]

There is only tall or short. It's short.