There have been a number of recent studies about average penis sizes and how much women really care about how big a man happens to be. Each study has found essentially the same thing – size matters to women, but not that much. In fact, as each study has been released, more and more men have become interested in the subject and it would appear that when it comes to size, the numbers probably matter more to men than they do to women. In fact, with so many studies suggesting that women are only casually interested in size, it leaves many people wondering why men continue to be so obsessed about it.
The Psychology of Competition
Many researchers now believe the great penis size debate is thanks to the psychology of competition. It will come as no surprise to many to learn than men are naturally more competitive than women. This doesn’t mean that women aren’t competitive but men will compete over just about anything – and that includes the size of their penis. Where does this drive come from and how does it affect the sexual and psychological health of men?
Generally speaking, competition is a healthy part of human interaction. Healthy competition brings us professional sports, the Olympics and even friendly bets between one another. Competition can push us to try harder, get stronger and hone our skills to achieve greatness. But when applied to arbitrary physical characteristics, such as penis size, it can be especially powerful, particularly for men who may already struggle with issues of sexual self-confidence or performance concerns.
If you spend any time reading penis enlargement reviews, you’ll notice a few things. First, the men who write penis enlargement reviews tend to focus on actual inches gained in terms of length or girth. Very few discuss how their partners feel about it or how it has affected the emotional side of their sex life. While there’s nothing wrong with focusing on the physical, it’s important to understand that sexual health is about more than just the size and shape of your body or any specific body part. Again, this focus on simply the inches gained plays on this primal need to compete amongst each other.
Putting Things in Perspective
Chances are that men will never stop comparing notes when it comes to the size of their penis. But that doesn’t mean it has to be an all consuming obsession. Many men continue to see how they ‘measure up’ when compared to unrealistic models, adult film stars and online boasting. As more and more studies are conducted, researchers are finding the average size of the penis varies somewhat from region to region and is generally much smaller than the public believes. For example, one recent study found the average size of the penis among Americans is roughly 5.5 inches – markedly less than the perceived average of 7 inches. Publicizing the results of this study came as a relief to many men who worried they were abnormally small when, in fact, they were average or even a bit above average.
Although the competitive spirit can be harmful when taken to an extreme, comparing notes with one another about various aspects of our bodies and our lives is nothing new and is, in fact, completely normal. What’s more – a healthy sense of competition fuels further research as it keeps the public interest up. However, it is important to keep things in perspective and understand that the word ‘normal’ or ‘average’ is broad and can vary depending on a number of factors. More importantly, sexual health and happiness isn’t dependent on one aspect of sexuality, chemistry or body type. A man with a penis that is small or larger than average can still have a great sex life and develop a healthy sense of sexual self-confidence. So while it’s fine to learn more about sexual makeup, attitudes, practices and statistics, remember that any study only gives you one piece of the picture and in order to develop a healthy and happy sex life you’ll need to focus on the big picture – not just the small details.
