(17m) Im 5’4 and I have no hope of getting taller, i found out my growth plates have closed so I’ll be stuck at this height forever. I got an x-ray earlier and I almost started crying in the car on our way home.
It’s clearly important, all the videos I see about how being tall is so desirable and the comments with women saying they deserve tall boyfriends with thousands of likes.
It’s depressing to think my worth as a person and a man depends on something out of my control.
I’ve been researching leg lengthening surgery but it is very expensive and the recovery seems brutal.
At 17, you’re grappling with a lot – body image, self-worth, societal expectations, and the dawning realization that some aspects of ourselves are simply not changeable. It’s a heavy load, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed.
But here’s the thing: your worth as a person and as a man absolutely does not depend on your height. Full stop. Your worth is determined by your character, your actions, your passions – not the numbers on a measuring tape. This isn’t just a feel-good platitude; it’s the bedrock truth of human value.
Think about the people you most admire. Are they defined by their height, or by their integrity, their kindness, their drive to make a difference?
When we boil someone’s worth down to a physical trait, we’re not just being unfair to them – we’re cheating ourselves out of appreciating the full depth of human complexity and potential.
You’re at an age where it’s easy to fixate on the physical, especially with the constant barrage of superficial messaging from social media. But as you move through life, you’ll find that the qualities that truly matter – reliability, empathy, intellectual curiosity, sense of humor – have nothing to do with how tall you stand.
So instead of measuring yourself against an arbitrary physical standard, start cultivating the traits that will make you a person of substance.
Here’s what I want you to do: Start building your sense of self-worth from the inside out. Develop your mind, nurture your relationships, find ways to contribute to your community. What are you passionate about? What skills can you develop? These are the actions that will define you as a man, and they’re entirely within your control.
Remember, confidence – real, lasting confidence – comes from knowing your own worth, not from meeting someone else’s yardstick (pun intended).
As you grow into that understanding, you’ll naturally attract people who value you for who you are, not for how you measure up.
You’re so much more than a number on a measuring tape. Don’t let anyone – including yourself – reduce you to that.