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According to a recent survey, 8 in 10 men feel that there is a societal pressure for them to be a certain way. Four in ten (41%) say this pressure comes from expectations around their physical appearance. But many would like people to consider more than just looks before jumping to any conclusions.
So after we discovered a few online threads where men have been sharing the insights and frustrations they wish women understood about their bodies, we put together the most popular, recurring points to give you, dear pandas, a clearer look at the male perspective.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Males have a hormonal cycle just like females.
I think almost everyone knows the female hormonal cycle: her period. Its course is a month. The male hormonal cycle takes the course of a single day (every day).
Testosterone levels are at their highest in the morning (think morning wood) and gradually/slightly depreciate throughout the day. At night, test levels are at their lowest, which is why most men start to have negative thoughts around that time. Nothing beats the 2AM existential dread.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 7 hours ago
I can think of a couple of male pandas who always seem to be manstruating.
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#2
Women often think they know this, but many (especially younger) women don't really understand just how much stronger the average man is compared to the average woman. Yes, there are exceptions and edge cases, but by and large, if you pluck a man and a woman from a crowd, the man will be significantly stronger than the woman.
#3
Often times, a glancing blow off the ballbag is way more painful than a full on kick to the jimmies.
#4
Men can actually lactate under extreme conditions.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 7 hours ago
Don't tell the transphobes this, they may get even more confused than they already are.
#5
Testosterone levels tend to vary throughout the day being the highest in the morning. It's not just morning wood, men are "in the mood" more naturally in the mornings.
#6
In general male skin is thicker, oilier and ages differently. Male skin is, on average, approximately 20% thicker than female skin. It contains more collagen and has a tighter, firmer appearance.
#7
The reason it hurts so much when our testicles are hit is because when we are developing in the womb the testicles descend from where the ovaries would be and drag with them neural connections: that's why a kick in the testicles fills very similar to a kick in the stomach. Similarly, when descending they take muscle tissue from our abs, so if you run your fingers with some force through your lower abs you can make your testicles retract.
Apparently the reason we get erect sleeping or when waking up is because during sleep our testosterone levels fluctuate in a pretty big way.
The center of gravity of the male body is around the chest, whereas the female body's is on the hips.
#8
It shrinks. Like a frightened turtle. It just does.
#9
Just because it's up doesn't mean we want to do it. But hey if it gets you in the mood and you want to do it, maybe we want to do it too!
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 7 hours ago
It sometimes has a life of its own. During my maths GCSE I shifted in my chair and realised I had the raging stonk on. And no, maths does not get me in the mood.
#10
After the birth of your child, a man's testosterone will drop.
Basically nature's way of ensuring your rage and anger calms down. It will normally increase after a while but not always.
#11
When a man loses one testicle, the other goes into overproduction to make up the difference. Essentially, a super nut. It also hangs right in the middle and is more aesthetically pleasing.
#12
If you’re just laying there, you can watch as your testicles move and your sack expands and contracts as it tries to regulate its temperature. This is exaggerated if you had a procedure like a vasectomy and there’s swelling and such. It’s wild.
melanthius:
My wife used to be so mesmerized at this. It like never seems to stop
#13
We don't have nearly as much control over our erections as you seem to think.
#14
Their [testicles] used to be labia, because we all start out life [the same] in the womb.
#15
Pregnancy tests can be a rudimentary/unsophisticated way to check for testicular cancer. If a man [urinates] on a pregnancy test and it shows a positive result, that man should get checked out by a doctor. It's not a failproof thing, but it's not entirely untrue either.
OneHappyPuppy 7 hours ago
It's because pregnancy tests look for human chorionic gonadotropin, a protein some cancer cells make as well. It's basically an indicator of new cell growth - i.e. something that happens in a pregnancy and in developing cancer
#16
Men's sizes and shape change for things that aren't even sexual. Mood, temperature, etc.
I actually had to explain this to a girl I was seeing that thought sizes are constantly the same. She said mine was bigger than last time and I was like "Girl, you know it changes?"
Then we had that whole talk.
#17
If a man falls over and has a erection it’s a sign of a lower back injury.
Also a erection for longer than 3 hours is a bad thing call paramedics if that happens.
#18
We do not "drain our [testicles]" when we ejaculate, we drain our prostate. Testicles are little factories.
sofacushionfort 6 hours ago
There’s about three feet of tubing from the testicles to the orfice. The s***m ejaculated a several weeks old (this is why a sample is inspected after vasectomy to be sure you’re really shooting blanks)
#19
When they are cold their testies shrivel up, when they are hot their testies fall down.
Mook The Mediocre 4 hours ago
"When they are cold their testies shrivel up" - scrotums (i.e. scrota), not testes shrivel in the cold.
#20
Men can undergo hormonal changes when their wife is pregnant and giving birth.
#21
Body hair is inversely correlated with male pattern baldness (something to do with testosterone receptors iirc). The more body hair you have the more likely is you'll go bald.
Also the reason bald dudes shave their head but usually keep a very nice beard, and why I can't grow more than a stash at 26 but my hair is stupid thick and my body is mostly hairless save for arms, legs and a bit on the chest.
#22
Even if the stream comes out straight as an arrow, sometimes it will randomly just split into 2 streams or veer off in another direction.
Riker_Omega_Three:
And sometimes you get the sprinkler head where it just comes out every which a way.
#23
Men can't differentiate colors as well as women. Two different shades of green to a woman might just be "green" to a man. Lower number of cones in the eyes or something.
Lee Gilliland 7 hours ago
When they say they can't discern the difference between coral and peach they mean it.
#24
The distance after which the stream will change shape once exiting the urethra can be used to detect issues with the prostate.
A doctor in the UK came up with that idea. You just have to hold a card next to the stream and then you should be able to tell if something is off relatively reliable.
Zig Zag Wanderer 4 hours ago
Not totally reliable. However, i usually pîss like a horse, so I'm reassured.
#26
1 in 3 men experience male pattern baldness.
RaptorHunter182:
It's me. I shaved my head at 17 because I started balding at 15 and couldn't take it anymore. Now I'm 19 (almost 20) and still bald have a beard XD
I was mistaken for teachers when I was in high school.
Lee Gilliland 7 hours ago (edited)
Yup. My son started losing his hair in high school, and unfortunately Male Pattern Baldness carries from the female genetic line. I'm sorry.
#27
When we are young (testosterone levels are high), like 15-16 years old, we get something called “Nervous [erections]”.
School teacher goes around asking questions on stuff taught last class, and I would have no answers, along with goosebumps, little guy down there decides to wake up.
Doesn’t happen now that I am in my 40s.
#28
The path that your testicles take while descending into the scrotum sometimes doesn't close and your intestines can herniate into the scrotum. Med school is fun for fun facts.
#29
I wish that every woman could experience what surges in testosterone feel like. Just so they can understand the sensation of these rocket fuel powered baser emotions and urges.
#31
If you feel cold and your [testicles] are hanging, you got fever man
#32
Our testicles can "move" into a cavity inside our body where they used to be during the development of the baby still in the womb.
#33
The older I get, more noises come from inside.
#34
If you have a [testicle] that is particularly large, you can get an indication whether it's a tumor or hydrocele due to an injury with a simple flashlight.
Position the flashlight shining through your scrotum, if the [testicle] casts a shadow, it is likely a solid mass like a tumor, if the light shines through the growth, it's likely a liquid. Talk to your doctor accordingly.
#35
Men have a greater reward response to alcohol. They release more dopamine than women do when they drink, and it makes them more susceptible to alcoholism as a result.
#36
Keeping all kinds of [stuff] in my pockets (keys, phone, lighter, work id, knife, wallet, ear buds) rubs against my legs and causes chafing and acne.
Ladies. I want you to get the useable pockets you long for...but know this: it comes with a price.
Panda McPandaface 3 hours ago
I have never experienced this - ladies, I'd take the risk if you get the chance.
#37
Contrary to reasonably popular belief, [private parts] aren’t a part of the conscious mind, we can’t turn it on or off.
It just gets hard when it feels like it, mostly when we are tired, sleeping, or very comfortable because that’s when the body enters its most relaxed state “rest and digest”.
If any of you guys can control yours, however, please do teach me this Jedi force ability.
#38
Honestly just the simple fact that you don't sit in your nuts. They do not exist under you.
Zig Zag Wanderer 4 hours ago (edited)
That is certainly the preferred option. However, they can get caught under you in certain positions. Apparently....
#39
It's farther forward than a lot of you seem to think. Your junk is between your legs; ours is more in front of our legs.
#40
A lot of women don't know that men have a very limited ability to move their [privates] by flexing internal pelvic muscles.
#41
If you usually wake up with morning wood, then suddenly don't, it's a good idea to schedule a doctor's appointment.
That can be an early warning sign of heart problems.
#42
It's easier to get an erection when your comfortable. Stress can cause ED. Also most men (and some women) don't have the correct hip shape to do a full straddle split.
#43
When you get a lot of tummy hair around your Belly button, it usually catches cotton from your shirts and you have to "pull it out" it's usually not that far in, but it can happen :(
#44
Testosterone levels have a really big impact.
-low levels are often linked to higher aggression.
-weird things effect levels. It's been shown that getting more money (from a deal or something), can temporarily raise levels. In early relationship stages, levels lower in men, but rise in women (only in early stages). Lower sleep levels will lower levels.
-higher fat levels lowers levels.
-too much working out also lowers levels.
-it does weird things to pain receptors
-it also affects behavior
#46
If you stand on the edge of a cliff or a high rooftop and look down... you get the weirdest feeling in your testicles. It's like they're scared lol.
hannahbahngswife 2 hours ago
Is that an everyone thing? I am a woman and I feel this down there too.
#48
Lower body exercise, specifically resistance exercise, will put you in an anabolic state much faster than upper body resistance training.
Especially hip hinge exercises like barbell squats or RDLs. It also helps with ED (erectile dysfunction) due to the pressure it puts on the lower pelvic wall and the prostate.
#51
That the male body is capable of carrying about three times as much "unseen burden" before it starts to complain.
Panda McPandaface 3 hours ago
What does this even mean? Unseen burden would surely be carried by the brain?
#52
The older you get, the louder the farts (and more farts too). They also became much longer and can jump an octave at the same fart.
#53
Every man has stuck something down his urethra at least once.
What do you think ?
David Paterson 3 hours ago (edited)
There is an enormous overlap between male and female physiologies. Many men don't have an Adams Apple. Many men have the same shoulder to hip width ratio as the average woman. Many men are no more hairy than the average woman. Many men are no stronger than the average woman. Many are no taller. In extreme circumstances even the private parts of some men can vanish inside.
David Paterson 3 hours ago (edited)
There is an enormous overlap between male and female physiologies. Many men don't have an Adams Apple. Many men have the same shoulder to hip width ratio as the average woman. Many men are no more hairy than the average woman. Many men are no stronger than the average woman. Many are no taller. In extreme circumstances even the private parts of some men can vanish inside.
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