# Do psychiatric professionals actually believe fast car = compensation for small penis **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949 "2006-12-29T03:08:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/21 "2006-12-30T03:16:39Z")
Ahem. My empirical observations indicate that the typical female of the species does not select a potential mate by approaching and grabbing his penis. Doing so would be considered taboo. Likewise, it can also be considered taboo for the male to publicly display his penis. Therefore we can reasonably rule out penis size as a primary indicator of sexual attractiveness in the earliest stages of mate selection. As a result the male must resort to other methods of attracting the female in the hopes that the female will wish to see his penis at some point. There are many techniques the male can use, but one of the simplest techniques can be summed up, in layman’s terms, “Chicks dig fast cars.” ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/22 "2006-12-30T03:50:30Z")
You’ll recall that Bob Newhart took the El. And Suzanne Pleshette always seemed pleased when he arrived home. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/23 "2006-12-30T12:47:49Z")
Being the owner of an immaculate, old classic (a '66 GT350 Shelby Mustang Fastback) I read this thread with some interest. But when all is said and done, in my particular case, the thing I love about having a classic is that it’s such a fun hobby. There’s always something to polish, or work on. It keeps my mind always on the go about things other than work, or parenthood. That being said, I’ve had girls flash their breasts when I’ve driven by. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/24 "2006-12-30T13:02:18Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] People who are philosophically secure don’t usually induge in material displays of wealth and power. [/QUOTE] I can think of any number of anecdotes from my personal knowledge that contradict this statement. No doubt you can think of any number in support. Got any actual data, perchance? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/25 "2006-12-30T16:30:16Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] My empirical observations indicate that the typical female of the species does not select a potential mate by approaching and grabbing his penis. [/QUOTE] Well, actually, there was this one time… (true story, but I guess strippers don’t actually count as typical females :)) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/26 "2006-12-30T17:06:29Z")
[QUOTE=T\_SQUARE] We have all heard that a man driving a fast car or big truck or nice boat is compensating for his small penis. So, is this an actual accepted theory in psychology? [/QUOTE] Sure. It’s been known for quite some time. > [@](#): > > One day a mouse was driving along the road in his Mercedes when he heard an > anguished roaring noise coming from the side of the road. Stopping the car, > he got out and discovered a lion stuck in a deep ditch and roaring for help. > Reassuring the lion, the mouse tied a rope around the axle of the Mercedes, > threw the other end down to the lion, and pulled the beast out of the ditch. > The lion thanked the mouse profusely and they went their separate ways. > Two months later the lion was out for a stroll in the country when > he heard a panicked squeaking coming from the side of the road. Investigating > the noise, what should he come across but the mouse stuck in the same hole. > “Oh, please help me, Mr. Lion,” squeaked the terrified mouse. “I saved you > with my car once, remember?” > “Course I’ll help you, little fellow,” roared the lion. “I’ll just > lower my dick down to you, you hold on to it, and we’ll have you out of there > in a jiffy.” Sure enough, a few minutes later the mouse was high and dry on > the roadside, trying to convey his eternal gratitude to the lion. > “Don’t give it another thought,” said the lion kindly. “It just goes > to show that if you’ve got a big dick, you don’t need a Mercedes.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/27 "2006-12-30T17:45:54Z")
[QUOTE=T\_SQUARE] We have all heard that a man driving a fast car or big truck or nice boat is compensating for his small penis. So, is this an actual accepted theory in psychology? I’ve always thought it was probably just something people made up to disparage economically advantaged persons. I would figure pretty much everyone would prefer a fast car to a slow one, a big truck to a small one, or a nice boat to, well not a nice boat. But then again, I also have a small penis. [/QUOTE] Show me a psychiatrist and I’ll show you a man/woman that NEEDS one! Does that answer your question? ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/28 "2006-12-31T00:17:42Z")
[QUOTE=Boo Boo Foo] Being the owner of an immaculate, old classic (a '66 GT350 Shelby Mustang Fastback) … I’ve had girls flash their breasts when I’ve driven by. [/QUOTE] And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the answer. The “small penis” myth is a just a stupid meme. I’m pretty sure most of the Fortune 500 CEO’s have fast/expensive cars. Do they all have small penises? Men are just hard-wired to want to have things that attract women. Money, status, expensive cars, … ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/29 "2006-12-31T03:46:27Z")
How about women who drive fast cars? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/30 "2006-12-31T04:23:53Z")
How about Shania Twain– \*You’re one of those guys who likes to shine his machine You make me take off my shoes before you let me get in I can’t believe you kiss your car good night C’mon baby tell me-you must be jokin’, right! Okay, so you’ve got a car That don’t impress me much\* ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/31 "2006-12-31T04:26:44Z")
[QUOTE=Polerius] And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the answer. The “small penis” myth is a just a stupid meme. I’m pretty sure most of the Fortune 500 CEO’s have fast/expensive cars. Do they all have small penises? Men are just hard-wired to want to have things that attract women. Money, status, expensive cars, … [/QUOTE] Talk about totally taking my post and deleting the most important part so that you could present it out of context. Go back and read what I wrote again. I made a point of distinctly noting that in my instance, the point of owning a classic Mustang is the sheer fun of the hobby, and having something to work on outside of work. The fact that (some) women have found the car sufficiently attractive to do something unusual is just a co-incidence. The very last reason in the world that I own my GT350 is to impress women. You so totally got my post wrong when you quoted me. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/32 "2006-12-31T04:47:43Z")
I think very fast cars require a certain amount of skill to drive safely, and even more to do so at high speed. Therefore it can be said that one could have a legitimate reason for owning a very fast sports car other than soley as a display of material excess. But big trucks/SUVs/boats? Yup. Hung like a toddler. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/33 "2006-12-31T09:22:15Z")
[QUOTE=Boo Boo Foo] Talk about totally taking my post and deleting the most important part so that you could present it out of context. Go back and read what I wrote again. I made a point of distinctly noting that in my instance, the point of owning a classic Mustang is the sheer fun of the hobby, and having something to work on outside of work. The fact that (some) women have found the car sufficiently attractive to do something unusual is just a co-incidence. The very last reason in the world that I own my GT350 is to impress women. You so totally got my post wrong when you quoted me. [/QUOTE] You have misunderstood the point of my post. I did not say that you (or men) in general, buy expensive cars out of a conscious thought process “I’ll buy an expensive car to get chicks”. Rather we are hard-wired to like things that attract women. That is, we really, truly, like those things, and we are not buying them for ulterior motives (in general, of course; some men do). A similar thing happens with women. Women are, in general, hard-wired to like things in a man that make him a good protector/provider (tall, strong, with money, power & status). Most women don’t consciously think “I’m going to have sex with this tall guy with a ton of money because he is a good provider”. I think that women are really, truly, attracted to these characteristics (in general, of course; some women do make a conscous decision). One caveat is that as society has become more safe for women, and as they are able to make their own money, the need for a man who is a protector/provider has somewhat diminished, so the natural imperative to select a mate who is a protector/provider is not as strong, and that’s why women are now more likely than before to choose mates beased on other characteristics. However, based on anecdotal evidence (YMMV), it seems to me that what still gets a woman’s juices really going (i.e. attracttion not based on conscious choice) are men who are tall, strong, somewhat risk-takers, with money, power & status (or any subset thereof) Sorry for the long hijack, but I wanted to explain that what we like, like sports cars, is influenced subconscioulsy by evolutionary pressures. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/34 "2006-12-31T12:42:14Z")
[QUOTE=Polerius] The “small penis” myth is a just a stupid meme. I’m pretty sure most of the Fortune 500 CEO’s have fast/expensive cars. Do they all have small penises? [/QUOTE] Larry Ellison does. Just trust me on this. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/35 "2006-12-31T14:21:15Z")
[QUOTE=kawaiitentaclebeast] I think very fast cars require a certain amount of skill to drive safely, and even more to do so at high speed. Therefore it can be said that one could have a legitimate reason for owning a very fast sports car other than soley as a display of material excess. But big trucks/SUVs/boats? Yup. Hung like a toddler. [/QUOTE] This makes absolutely no sense at all. You think a legitimate reason to own a fast car is to demonstrate that you can drive it? But owning a vehicle that actually has capabilities that some people truly need indicates a lack of manhood? Do you anti-SUV/Truck people ever listen to yourselves? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/36 "2006-12-31T14:39:03Z")
[QUOTE=enipla] This makes absolutely no sense at all. You think a legitimate reason to own a fast car is to demonstrate that you can drive it? But owning a vehicle that actually has capabilities that some people truly need indicates a lack of manhood? Do you anti-SUV/Truck people ever listen to yourselves? [/QUOTE] Seriously. I can’t think of any reason why anyone would _need_ to own a fast car. But plenty of people actually need big trucks and SUVs. And as for the boats - if you can afford it, why not have a boat with more space, more amenities and greater range? That has nothing to do with the penis, it’s about making the most of your hobby. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/37 "2006-12-31T15:11:33Z")
[QUOTE=The Sonoran Lizard King] I make fun of the whole mindset by often proclaiming, ie “Oh, no, that guy passed me, now He’s ahead of me, I can feel my penis shrinking.” In a mock horrified voice. [/QUOTE] When I lived in College Station, and my friends and I would be camped out on the porch of the Dixie Chicken, every time a Honda riceburner would go by revving it’s engine, my redneck friend would shout out “HOLY SHIT THAT MADE YOUR PENIS LOOK **HUUUUGE!** ” [QUOTE=Slithy Tove] You’ll recall that Bob Newhart took the El. And Suzanne Pleshette always seemed pleased when he arrived home. [/QUOTE] It doesn’t get much bigger than a train, you know. But then, Bob Newhart strikes me as the sort of guy who’s probably hung like a fire engine. [QUOTE=spingears] Show me a psychiatrist and I’ll show you a man/woman that NEEDS one! [/QUOTE] This reminds me of an episode of Fraser where, after he and his ex-wife accidentaly publicly humiliate their son, Fraser tries to comfort himself by pointing out that, without parents, there wouldn’t be a need for Psychologists. [QUOTE=Argent Towers] Seriously. I can’t think of any reason why anyone would _need_ to own a fast car. But plenty of people actually need big trucks and SUVs. And as for the boats - if you can afford it, why not have a boat with more space, more amenities and greater range? That has nothing to do with the penis, it’s about making the most of your hobby. [/QUOTE] Personally, I’d like to own a police cruiser. Fast AND big. And people actually get _out_ of your way so you can drive fast with it! ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/38 "2006-12-31T15:23:56Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] Seriously. I can’t think of any reason why anyone would _need_ to own a fast car. But plenty of people actually need big trucks and SUVs. And as for the boats - if you can afford it, why not have a boat with more space, more amenities and greater range? That has nothing to do with the penis, it’s about making the most of your hobby. [/QUOTE] Plenty of people have SUVs that could get by in a sedan. And there are plenty of people that do need SUVs and trucks. Defending sports cars while denigrating trucks and SUVs that actually CAN serve a purpose? :rolleyes: Back on the subject. People that claim some inadequacy in others because they have something that they don’t should look a little closer to home. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/39 "2006-12-31T15:28:46Z")
> [@](#): > > This makes absolutely no sense at all. You think a legitimate reason to own a fast car is to demonstrate that you can drive it? No, a fast car is challenging to drive and can be used to hone one’s high speed driving skills. It’s certainly an extravagant reason to buy a $400k car but it does exist. I don’t want this thread to turn into another SUV bashing thread, but if so many people have legitimate uses for them, one has to wonder how anything got built before Hummers and Escalades were available. In any case I haven’t got anything against people who buy them, but I’ll be rejoicing every time gas prices go up. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949/40 "2006-12-31T16:09:15Z")
[QUOTE=kawaiitentaclebeast] No, a fast car is challenging to drive and can be used to hone one’s high speed driving skills. It’s certainly an extravagant reason to buy a $400k car but it does exist. I don’t want this thread to turn into another SUV bashing thread, but if so many people have legitimate uses for them, one has to wonder how anything got built before Hummers and Escalades were available. In any case I haven’t got anything against people who buy them, but I’ll be rejoicing every time gas prices go up. [/QUOTE] They bought mack trucks. Seriously, why do you NEED a truck that big? The F-350 wasn’t enough for ya? Was the dealership all out of freight trains? 😃 Incidentally, an SUV can be challenging to drive, especially at high speed, so someone could theoretically buy one for the same reason they’d by a Porche 911. As for wanting a car you can drive fast, lots of guys get affordable riceburners for exactly the same reason (That’s not to say a riced up Honda Civic will ever beat a Corvette Stingray or a V-12 Lamborghini Murcielago, but then, neither of those cars are normally anywhere near the price range of a guy who buys a Honda Civic) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-psychiatric-professionals-actually-believe-fast-car-compensation-for-small-penis/385949.md?page=3)