If you’re a 6’8 man wondering whether or not 6 foot 8 is too tall for a guy, then this article is for you. If you’re a regular guy wondering what life is like for a 6’8 person, then this 6’8 height guide is also for you.
How Does Your Height Compare?
- How tall is the average man?
- Normal height for women
- 6’0 height man
- 6’1 height man
- 6’2 height man
- 6’3 height man
- 6’4 height man
- 6’5 height man
- 6’6 height man
- 6’7 height man
- 6’9 height man
- 6’10 height man
- 6’11 height man
Is 6’8 too tall for a guy?
Is 6’8 too tall for a guy? It depends on your point of view. If you like the idea of being extremely tall and towering over everyone else, then being 6’8 is good and definitely not too tall for a guy.
On the other hand, some research suggests that people with extremely long or short legs (a 6’8 person would definitely fit into the first category) are perceived as less attractive. [1]
Now, this study was done using silhouettes, so the study participants weren’t rating the attractiveness of real people.
Overall, it’s generally agreed by researchers and the culture at large that taller guys are perceived as more attractive than shorter guys. So from this perspective, 6’8 men could have some advantages over their shorter counterparts.
Another potential drawback of being a 6 foot 8 man, depending on your point of view, is that you might look a bit scary and intimidating to some people, which could make it harder to connect with others initially.
Related: How much should a 6’8 male weigh?
Is it possible for a woman to be 6’8?
Most people will never encounter a 6’8 woman in person. But this isn’t to say that it’s impossible for a woman to be 6 foot 8 because there are actually some 6’8 women on professional basketball teams.
6’8 girls have a highly unique appearance that could potentially land them lucrative modeling or acting contracts.
So even though a 6’8 girl might stand out and even get a bit of unwanted attention, she could also find real success thanks to her impressive stature.
The reason that it’s so rare to see a 6 foot 8 woman is that men tend to be much taller than women on average and 6’8 is already very tall for a man. Quite simply, 99.99% of women just don’t have the genetics to be 6ft 8in.
Is it good to be a 6’8 man?
It depends; do you like feeling powerful and looking intimidating?
If so, then yes. This could be an advantage in sports like rugby or boxing, where your physical size and presence can cause your opponents to hesitate because they realize that you’re bigger and stronger than them.
Also, women are more likely to rate taller men as attractive than shorter men, but it’s unclear whether this benefit extends to men who are a colossal 6 feet 8 inches tall. [2]
Of course, there are undeniable downsides to being a 6’8 guy; banging your head, needing a huge bed, scaring old ladies, you get the idea.
Yet, many 6 foot 8 guys love seeing people’s reactions when they walk down the street.
They get a taste of being a celebrity and never have to think of a good conversation starter; their height does all of the talking for them.
How does someone get to be 6 foot 8?
Simple; because of their genetics. Unless your parents are really tall, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be 6 foot 8.
Now, other things like sleep, diet, and exercise do influence your height to an extent, but nowhere near as much as your genetics do.
6 foot 8 people often have a huge growth spurt sometime during puberty where, within the space of a year, they go from being kind of tall to being extremely tall.
Some 6’8 people can be very self-conscious, especially if they get to 6’8 quite early on, in which case people will probably think that a 6’8 boy is much older than he actually is.
But I’d say that towering above your teachers (or above your boss, if you’re a 6’8 man) would actually be a fun experience.
Conclusion and practical advice for a 6’8 man
Since your height isn’t something that you can change, a 6’8 person should definitely make the most of their height and appreciate their uniqueness.
Being 6 foot 8 is polarizing in that some 6’8 men love being tall, whereas others don’t like all of the height-related attention. I guess you can’t please everyone with the same height.
Still, many men wish that they were 6 feet 8 inches so that they could stand out and easily get attention, but I suppose that the novelty of being so tall would wear off after a while.
In summary, there’s nothing wrong with being 6’8. There are a good number of athletes who are genuinely 6’8, and they have successful careers and personal lives.
References
- Sorokowski, P., Szmajke, A., Sorokowska, A., Borg Cunen, M., Fabrykant, M., Zarafshani, K., Amiri, M., Bazzazian, S., Blazevska-Stoilkovska, B., Casellas, V., Cetinkaya, H., Lopez Coutino, B., Chavez, M., Cheng, C., Cristea, I., David, D., Dural, S., Dzięcioł, A., Fauzee, S., . . . Tzu Fang. (2010). Attractiveness of Leg Length: Report From 27 Nations. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42(1), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022110392229
- Pierce, C. A. (1996). BODY HEIGHT AND ROMANTIC ATTRACTION: A META-ANALYTIC TEST OF THE MALE-TALLER NORM. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 24(2), 143–149. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.1996.24.2.143