Quote from: maximize on January 23, 2023, 04:16:32 AMFor context, I am 5'7.5" roughly on average. I was always the smallest kid growing up in my class (or second smallest) but when I eventually hit puberty and got my growth spurt I thought "Wow, finally. Good enough. 5'7" is decent. I'm not tall, but I'm pretty normal height now. I am sure this will be good enough." Right? Wrong.
There are three areas I perceived problems with my height in my life:
1) Couldn't keep up in sports being so small, but this was never THAT important. It upset me when I was 12 and couldn't make any of the teams anymore. But it wasn't the end of the world. Past 15 it was irrelevant.
2) Physical dominance around other guys is difficult. Ie. If there is an altercation, I must always play down the escalation as I cannot stand a chance in a fight. (I am not a "stocky" 5'7" but rather have very slim feminine bones so have never had much muscle mass either despite working out.) Probably this is for the best though as it means I've never been in a real fight.
3) Rejection from women. I have had virtually no opportunities for dating with women I find attractive in my life. That's despite trying very hard to improve everything I can to make this better. Even becoming successful and relatively wealthy has not helped this issue.
I can make friends of any kind pretty easily including women. Two of my best friends are women. But I cannot get "likes" or "matches" on dating apps with women I would find attractive and if I try to talk to women in bars and clubs I mostly get instantly rejected like ignored or one word answers or "I have a boyfriend" in a way my taller/whiter and more handsome friends don't.
This has been a huge gaping hole in my life which is now feeling even more empty as I get older. I am well aware that many people are 5'7" and do well with women. But the ones I know are usually one or all of white and/or handsome and/or very stocky which I am none of. I have already had facial surgeries which improved my life a lot but it is risky to do more. Whereas, leg lengthening is in some ways safer - at least it is uncut bone and avoids all the complex facial nerves (unlike going for more jaw/facial surgery).
I think there has never been a more important time in life to be considered physically attractive as a man to women and 90%+ of that in English countries is being tall, being white, being handsome, and being fit. Out of those, only one is within your control, and even that has been ruined by all the rampant steroid users on Instagram/Youtube setting unrealistic expectations.
So this is why I keep coming back to this forum year after year wanting LL. If a good weight-bearing nail was available I would still do it. I keep waiting. I can't take off 6 months otherwise. It is too bad re: Stryde 2.
I often read people talking about how "you should only do LL for yourself and not for others" but that has never been my perspective. I don't derive my identity from my height. My body is just something I got through random chance. If it wasn't for the women issue, I wouldn't really care very much. It would be nicer to be taller, but not nice enough to compromise my natural mechanics over. But I just want to have the best quality of life I can, any way I can. And finding possible opportunities for dating and sxx with women I would like is the hardest thing there is for me.
I am getting older each year. It becomes more obvious with each year that I need to live some in the ways that matter to me before I die. Otherwise maybe I need to move to another country where they physical requirements women place on men are different, but that is hard when you have a job and parents that need you, etc.
Anyone else had any similar or different thoughts? Just curious what others have reflected on this.
I would say it's a perk but personally wouldn't get it if dating girls is your only reason, but again if you have the financial means to burn 50k+ and 4 months then it's not too unreasonable. The reason 99% of the people that know LL don't get is because of the financial investment + if you work a job that requires you to be present to a workplace then you pretty much have to quit or convince your employer you need a 4 month vacation.