Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular • Hacker News Board

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#111

Post by SemanticStrengh » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:12 PM UTC

aortega wrote: post #99

chrischen wrote: post #35

> “Don’t be so sure of yourself, short man!” The problem is that it's still socially acceptable to see short stature as some objective faux-pas. There's really no difference between a person proudly declaring they only like "white" people and a person declaring they only like "tall" people. If the guy said "Don't be so sure of yourself, black man" maybe it would have been acceptable in the 1920s, but it surely isn't…

>there aren't really downsides to short stature in modern life It even have several health benefits. Except that in dating, women overwhelmingly prefer men over 6', and very small differences like 5'7 vs 5'9 double or triple the matches in online dating sites. If we are talking about 5'6 vs 6'0 the difference is ridiculous, like over 200X more matches. Women even divorce short men at double the rate of tall men. Thos…

No post body was provided.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#112

Post by Avicebron » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:12 PM UTC

mellosouls wrote: post #106

Avicebron wrote: post #74

I mean women suffer from this too, my gf is 5.1 and constantly complains about not finding things in her size, not being able to reach stuff, so I mean, i suppose it is a real disadvantage I can imagine how humilitating it must feel if someone has to get a milkcrate to put in your garage so you can reach a shelf.

For "normal" shortness (eg non-dwarfism), there is no way women generally have a comparable negative experience to men (that is not to comment in any way on the many other prejudices women face); the latter have a significant part of their social place and psychological health influenced by it.

isn't the average for women 5.4-5? Thinking you look like a child seems like a fairly big social disadvantage, the difference between 5.10 and 6.2 is relatively comparable.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#113

Post by thoms_a » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:12 PM UTC

SnowHill9902 wrote: post #83

chrischen wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My point is that preferences are malleable and there is no objective reality or grounding in modern society for short stature being an undesirable trait (at least going forward). My hypothesis is that short stature historically has been attributed to malnutrition, and therefore destitution as well, which has shaped modern day preferences, but perception lags reality. EDIT: Also I should add that people are reading my…

You are overestimating and being too kind on “modernity”. Even if today short stature is not a disadvantage (and that’s a big if), it can perfectly well be in one month, after a war or pandemic breaks out, or in a generation when your children will be shorter because of current preferences.

I can think of another genetic factor that has a much, much greater impact on survival. And it is absolutely taboo to mention the heritability or genetic basis of this trait.

Take solace in the fact that if you find yourself on HN, you're likely at least a few SD above the mean in this trait, so you don't have much to worry about. Furthermore, you can use this trait to understand the fickle nature of sexual attraction, and how to obtain whatever it is you're looking for in an efficient manner.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#114

Post by omginternets » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:13 PM UTC

chrischen wrote: post #93

omginternets wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>even if it isn’t as “bad” can’t it still recognized as a lesser form of bigotry? Yes. In fact, that's exactly what I said. It's also worth calling out the sheer madness of equating height discrimination to racism, and pretending not to see the problem.

They are equated under the principle of injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. You could make the argument that Black people have suffered more at the hands of society, but the injustice of both are in the same class : prejudice.

>You could make the argument that Black people have suffered more at the hands of society, but the injustice of both are in the same class: prejudice.

Again, this is exactly what I am saying.

I am also saying that you go further, and engage in an intellectual slight-of-hand. This happens precisely when you say "there's really no difference [...]".

Yes there is. There are several, important differences that render irrelevant their belonging to the same category. Abraham Lincoln and Pol Pot both belong to the category of "heads of state", but it is laughably incorrect to claim that there are no differences between them. So too with your example.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#115

Post by aortega » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:14 PM UTC

SemanticStrengh wrote: post #111

aortega wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>there aren't really downsides to short stature in modern life It even have several health benefits. Except that in dating, women overwhelmingly prefer men over 6', and very small differences like 5'7 vs 5'9 double or triple the matches in online dating sites. If we are talking about 5'6 vs 6'0 the difference is ridiculous, like over 200X more matches. Women even divorce short men at double the rate of tall men. Thos…

Quoted post unavailable.

Being tall had several competitive advantages in the past. Basically before guns were invented the bigger guy usually could kill smaller guys, and get more food for the family. Quite obvious that women would prefer the big guy, and instincts don't change that quickly.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#116

Post by chrischen » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:14 PM UTC

aortega wrote: post #99

chrischen wrote: post #35

> “Don’t be so sure of yourself, short man!” The problem is that it's still socially acceptable to see short stature as some objective faux-pas. There's really no difference between a person proudly declaring they only like "white" people and a person declaring they only like "tall" people. If the guy said "Don't be so sure of yourself, black man" maybe it would have been acceptable in the 1920s, but it surely isn't…

>there aren't really downsides to short stature in modern life It even have several health benefits. Except that in dating, women overwhelmingly prefer men over 6', and very small differences like 5'7 vs 5'9 double or triple the matches in online dating sites. If we are talking about 5'6 vs 6'0 the difference is ridiculous, like over 200X more matches. Women even divorce short men at double the rate of tall men. Thos…

Lucky for short people, height is a lot less of a factor in modern society. Wealth is a much bigger factor. And what's the best path to wealth? Software. Even more lucky for them, software and internet doesn't care about height.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#117

Post by Crabber » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:15 PM UTC

onion2k wrote: post #64

sonicggg wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're comparing apples to oranges. Not trying to guess your height, but it seems you got personally attacked by the fact that society in general looks down on short guys. Different from skin colour, there's an evolutionary trait to height preference. Studies have shown that heterosexual women prefer partners taller than them. It's understandable this subconscious bias. And what seems like discrimination, it's just a…

We can't, even shouldn't, shut down our instincts due to politically correctness. Of course we should. Relying on reasons that would have been acceptable to a caveman 10,000 years ago is no basis for modern society. We've beaten evolution. Modern science, medicine, and society means evolutionary pressures can be ignored - women with bigger breasts and hips aren't any more likely to have successful offspring now becau…

>We've beaten evolution

No we haven't, and that's a good thing because a society made up of completely dysgenic people who need countless supplements and medical products just to stay alive would not be the utopia you're trying to paint it as.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#118

Post by emptybits » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:15 PM UTC

> “Then I insert a rod — we call it a nail or a rod — that goes inside the bone. The rod is magnetic and it has gears. Then there’s an external device that communicates with the nail. And over time, little by little, it lengthens out the nail.” The lengthening happens gradually. “We usually say about a millimeter a day, until they get to their desired height.”

The "external device that communicates with the nail" part should perk up hacker ears, with various motivations. o_O

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#119

Post by SomaticPirate » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:15 PM UTC

I had a short friend in high school who was insecure about his height. He is about 5’3. In his eyes, it was the first thing people noticed about him. Last time I saw him he had gotten incredibly fit. Most people noticed his muscles more than the fact that he was short (also you might he less likely to tease someone who can throw your 6 foot body across the room).

I think that would be a more appropriate investment than this if it bothered you so much. I also think it gave him more confidence. I worry the individual in the article will end up despondent that they aren’t “over 6 feet”.

Re: Limb lengthening surgery is becoming more popular

#120

Post by thoms_a » Sat, Apr 30, 2022, 10:15 PM UTC

chrischen wrote: post #96

xeromal wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would say that past preferences are simpler than malnutrition. The biggest brute wins. People feel safe around bigger people if they're on their team. I met Thor Bjornson a few years ago and meeting him was terrifying. I can see that trait as being desirable just from a protection and safety perspective. Like you said though, that's less necessary in this day and age.

Even if you add that and other hunter-gatherer positive qualities, those don't apply in modern society as much either. Today the frail rich nerd wins, for the most part (or at least their ability to kill a man wit their bare hands matters a lot, lot less).

I was wondering how far I had to scroll down to find one person (on HN no less) finally stating the obvious.

Thor could be 8ft tall and able to lift to a house. It won't save him from a drone swarm designed by a nerd at Lockheed.