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[-] pdxfed@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago

Wearing/buying luxury fashion goods.

[-] gigachad@sh.itjust.works 26 points 1 week ago

I think assuming men need to compensate for a body parts appearance they can't influence is a pretty idiotic thing.

[-] platypode@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

It’s just one study, but there is science to back that up

[-] gigachad@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

I looked through the study for fun, and it looks rather poorly made tbh. Also it's a non peer reviewed preprint from 2023.

[-] platypode@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

I’m curious what you identify as poorly made—I’m not a psychology researcher, but their methodology and statistical analysis seem basically credible.

[-] gigachad@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I'm not at a computer rn, but to make it short:

The key experimental trial told participants that the average erect penis size of other men was either 18cm (small penis / low self-esteem) or 10cm (large penis / high self-esteem) and was always followed by rating of one of six sports cars. [...] After the experimental trials, participants were told that some of the facts that they had been told were incorrect, and they were asked to give their estimates of the true values of these facts, including the true average penis size.

So if someone told me the average penis size is 18 cm I would call that bullshit. But let us assume all the 195 participants fully believed these numbers. They need to know their own penis size to make a comparison. Then this is about if "I feel I am below average". Then they rated sport cars based on "how much they would like to have that product"

Sorry, but that does not sound very sound to me.

We increased our male participants’ desire for sports cars when we made them feel they had a relatively small penis. Why cars and why penises? These results raise intriguing questions for future research. Does penis size effect only ratings for sports cars, or other highly prized items as well? Does penis size have a connection to male self-esteem that just much stronger than the other factors we manipulated in this experiment. If we manipulated other equally strong factors – men’s beliefs about their intelligence or wealth perhaps - we would find a similar effect on product ratings? Or perhaps there is just something specific linking cars and penises in the male psyche. That hypothesis is supported by the data in this paper, and would explain the existence of the phallic car trope in everyday jokes, advertisements and academic discourse [...]

What kind of conclusion is that? This is written like a blog article, not like a scientific paper. The conclusion has only 3 references. In total the paper is pretty short, but to be fair I don't know what's common in psychology either.

However what is most suspicious - this is a non peer reviewed preprint from 2023 and I cannot find the publication. So I guess it was declined, if it was even sent in

[-] Acamon@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago

I think this is a pretty dumb topic, because it really involves a lot of stereotyping and bullshit (like the other comment suggesting that fancy cars aren't linked to penis size anxiety) but anyway...

If we take "penis size" as a metric that men believe is important to their sexual attractiveness, and the assumption that they buy expensive cars to compensate, then we could see the goal as increasing their diminished sexual value in an alternative way. A rich man with a small penis may (in this silly logic) be as sexually attractive as a poor man with a large penis.

So for women, what is a stereotypical number that they could worry about and try and compensate for? The two that spring to mind (in this clichéd view of the sexual economy) are age and weight. Weight feels different, as there are methods of managing it that are more effective than "this secret ancient method will grow your dong 3 inches!" but for many people it is not an easily controlled factor. Age is, chronologically at least, a one way street. For both of these, make-up and grooming are pretty effective at reducing the "negatives" (bleurgh!) of being old / overweight, but that would be the equivalent of men stuffing socks and salami down their pants. What is the equivalent of "I'm not conventionally sexually attractive, but I have other redeeming qualities, like a willingness to waste money trying to impress women"? I wonder if it's "being kinda slutty"?

When I think of the equivalent to the cliché of the needy middle-aged businessman in his sports car, I think of the stereotype of the middle-aged, overweight, divorcée wearing too much makeup and dressing too young/slutty. She's not really trying to pretend she's young and hot, she's visibly demonstrating that's she's willing to make an effort to attract a man "if I'm willing to look like this in public, think how much of an effort I'll make on the sack!"

But I think this is a pretty silly topic, and making stereotyped judgements about other people is pretty bad. The "facists have small dicks" memes that kick about are kinda funny, but are really just reinforcing a body image problem that exists much more in society and the minds of men than it does in the tastes of their actual sexual partners. And women can be whatever age, weight or whatever else they want, and dress how they like. Some people just love leopard print! No need to project society's ills onto them!

[-] Plesiohedron@lemmy.cafe 0 points 1 week ago

Check out the big virtue on Acamon.

[-] Acamon@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

It's not the size of virtue, but how you use it. Or so I'm told.

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Like someone buying expensive cars to compensate for their smaller dick.

Just so you know, there's some evidence this isn't actually a thing and that the people who do that kind of thing are actually very self-assured in their penis size. Now, that doesn't mean they have a large penis, it just means they are happy with it and unconcerned with how others feel about it. Which, if you think about it, tracks. Because the guys who drive wanker sports cars or giant fucking trucks usually don't give a shit if their partner feels good, only if they do. So the size of their dick is kind of irrelevant to the whole equation. They could have a tiny dick, they could have a giant dick, either way, they're perfectly fine with it because it's not about how anyone else feels, it's about them getting off and being in control.

Might take me a while but I'll try to dig up the old /r/science reddit thread about it.

[-] Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 week ago

The weird thing about this comment is that it equates dick size with partner's pleasure. I can't speak for everyone, but I feel like that's only true for people who fetishize size and I only personally know like two people who actually do lol

[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Actually it doesn't. The point is that their partners pleasure is irrelevant to them. The comment literally says nothing about whether their partner enjoys a big or a small dick, rather that the men's dick size has nothing to do with how the men feel about themsleves and their penis size, because they are self-assured either way.

To my knowledge, most women don't actually love large dicks at all because they hurt.

[-] Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 week ago

Why would the fact that their partner's pleasure is irrelevant to them be relevant in this circumstance, unless it was related to the whole 'compensation' thing? I guess I'm missing something here, that seemed like the clear implication to me.

Maybe I shouldn't hear what you didn't say though, sorry if I overstepped.

But yes, the latter thing is often true. Though I'm fairly sure it's a little more popular with AMAB people cuz of how the prostate works

Re-reading my original comment, I can see how you got that implication. I guess the point is that these men aren't actually compensating for anything, that's potentially a misreading of why they do what they do. Also only men seem to be concerned with the size of their member, in relation to equating it to partners pleasure. It also seems to be mostly other men who want to ascribe the idea that these men are compensating for something, which returns to the idea that mostly only men seem concerned with this issue because men equate "bigger dick" to "women like this." There's a lot of assumptions being played around among the varied groups of men that are all tied to this perception of the size of their penis impacting the pleasure of their lover, and it basically has fuck-all to do with women's opinions on the matter. The men who are seen as "compensating for something" may actually be the men least impacted by these perceptions, ironically enough, because they simply don't care.

[-] Star@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 week ago

Ah, I getcha now! Okay, that makes sense. Thanks for having the patience to explain! I love when something like this doesn't devolve into argumentation ☺️

[-] Sonor@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

I would love to hear it.

Any recommendations on what new snarky comment to make when I see the aforementioned type of vehicle next time though? :/

[-] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Have you tried not projecting, creating an invisible enemy to hate, and just minding your own business?

[-] Sonor@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago
[-] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

It's life changing. Just let that hate and anger go.

[-] Sonor@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Maybe i should start appending /s on lemmy as well

[-] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 week ago

I believe they measure the vaginal folds

[-] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Is more or less better?

[-] taxiiiii@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

No, we dont.

[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 9 points 1 week ago

by being extra attitude problem.

[-] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 7 points 1 week ago
[-] Mac@mander.xyz 6 points 1 week ago

I love the way you participate in toxic masculinity.

[-] charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

giant naturally gaping vaginas

[-] FistingEnthusiast@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 1 week ago

I endorse this

[-] Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org 3 points 1 week ago

As far as the eye can see

[-] Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pub 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

no bewbs

Tighter jeans

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

I mean, when women have small breasts they usually just buy larger breasts, it's a lot easier for them to change that aspect than men.

How do they compensate if they can't afford it themselves and really want it done? They usually get a man to pay for it.

[-] Chickadeelight@fedia.io 3 points 1 week ago

Small chested women don't "usually just buy larger breasts." These surgeries are expensive and most can't afford it. Your worldview is being assembled from influencers, celebrities, and porn not reality.

they usually get a man to pay for it

Your post reeks of incel.

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

If you think most breast enhancement surgeries are paid for by the women, you are not living in reality.

If you think they aren't common, how do you explain the 300,000 that occur each year in the US? It's the single most common plastic surgery performed in north America, and 1-2% of the female adult population has had it done and that percentage is going up over time.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3006117/

This isn't incel anything, it's just facts.

[-] Chickadeelight@fedia.io 1 points 1 week ago

In 2024 ~245,000 women in the US had breast augmentation. That's out of 197,000,000 people which makes the total a fraction of a percent. You're a delusional incel.

[-] SaneMartigan@aussie.zone 0 points 1 week ago

Breast reduction is more common than enlargement as far as surgery goes.

[-] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

No it isn't. Breast enhancement is the single most common cosmetic surgery performed in the US.

[-] Akasazh@feddit.nl 2 points 1 week ago

Wist i do agree the particular stereotype is a bit scathing, I think it is withheld discussing bodily insecurities.

I do think it's more diverse in women as the don't focus on this one aspect, in disregard for about everything, which is often the male problem.

Posturing and peacocking is however important. I think that a lot is body related with indieners paddling makeup, fillers and stuff like that.

Aside from that there's not a simple set of items that define 'the successful woman' like expensive watches, fast cars ed. are for men.

But for most (and both sexes) the appearance of a successful relationship, a beautiful home, holidays and activities in line with their life philosophy seem prevalent in social media.

The appearance being the operative word, as it's often more important than reality.

Women might feel the need to "compensate" for their faces and overall bodies but there's no dick equivalent. A flat chested cutie will still be many people's cup of tea, but no one prefers a micropenis. I'm not sure the people who buy the big American trucks have small penises necessarily, they might just be overall insecure and need a very visible sign of status.

[-] Chickadeelight@fedia.io 5 points 1 week ago

This isn't true. As a woman I do prefer a small penis, but unfortunately I've never found a man with one.

I'm sure this made a lot of guys feel better, lol.

[-] Chickadeelight@fedia.io 6 points 1 week ago

As they should. Penis size is silly, and should never make a man feel bad about himself. ❤️

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[-] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

overcompensating by being a mean B, especially the overweight ones. i had to work with one on more than one occasion, one as a lab partner, and 1 as a coworker. the lab partner was worst.

[-] Opinionhaver@feddit.uk -2 points 1 week ago

I disagree with the premise. For the most part, people don’t buy nice things to compensate for something - they do it to signal status.

Also, as asexual male, I always find it amusing when someone implies I'm compensating for a small dick with my truck, as if my dick size was in any way relevant to how I live my life.

[-] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

they do it to signal status.

The need to signal status stems from insecurity, which can sometimes stem from a tiny stem.

Which is the fault of a culture that defined big dicks as good things. Most women do not care, and would pick smaller over painfully large.

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this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2025
21 points (70.6% liked)

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