Buzz
Psychologists and psychiatrists have been captivated by the penis for a long time. Consequently, they have concocted a variety of (incorrect) theories about it, which seem hilariously absurd when looked at from today’s perspective.
One of the most notable figures fascinated by the penis was Sigmund Freud. However, his theories were so outlandish that, had he been alive today, he would likely be considered a misogynist. Freud frequently belittled women and their sexuality, which caused a rift with female psychologists, some of whom responded with even more bizarre theories.
10. Penis Envy
In the early 20th century, Sigmund Freud introduced the idea of 'penis envy.' According to Freud, this was a condition affecting only women, where they supposedly became envious of men’s penises and wished they had one themselves.
Freud argued that penis envy first emerges during childhood, when girls realize they lack penises. At this point, they also observe that boys derive more pleasure from their penises than girls do from their vaginas. This leads to jealousy, as they wish they had a penis of their own.
However, the girls come to accept that they will never possess a penis. In response, they form stronger bonds with their fathers and tend to favor having sons as a way to compensate for their perceived deficiency. This theory sparked considerable controversy at the time, resulting in several other bizarre theories that we will mention later. Today, most psychologists dismiss the notion of penis envy.
9. Womb Envy
Sigmund Freud’s penis envy theory stirred the ire of many female psychologists, including Karen Horney. In response, Horney introduced the concept of womb envy, which she argued was the counterpart to penis envy.
Horney proposed that women do not experience penis envy because they are not jealous of men’s penises. Instead, she suggested that it is men who suffer from womb envy, feeling envious of women’s ability to bear children. According to Horney, men become aware of their need for a woman’s womb to create life and grow jealous of their dependence on women to have children.
Interestingly, Horney still adhered to many Freudian ideas and agreed with several of Freud’s other theories. However, she felt Freud took his concept of penis envy too far. Horney disagreed with Freud on various aspects of female sexuality, particularly his belief that men and women play the same roles in society, a view Horney did not share.
8. Masculine Protest
Psychiatrist Alfred Adler introduced the concept of masculine protest in his book, Social Interest: A Challenge to Mankind. Adler suggested that women often feel inferior when engaging in traditionally feminine activities like cooking and homemaking.
Adler further explained that women come to believe these “feminine roles” make them appear weaker than men. In response, they rebel against these societal expectations by taking on typically masculine roles. This act of adopting masculine traits to assert dominance was what Adler referred to as masculine protest. According to Adler, women do this to feel more powerful and authoritative.
The roles women take on vary but might include pursuing dangerous professions like joining the military or becoming a firefighter. They may also engage in activities such as martial arts. The masculine protest, according to Adler, can also lead women to favor their sons over their daughters.
7. The Conceptual Penis as a Social Construct
On May 19, 2017, the journal Cogent Social Sciences published a gender studies essay titled 'The Conceptual Penis as a Social Construct.' Written by researchers Jamie Lindsay and Peter Boyle, the essay was filled with nonsensical content. For example, the authors argued that the human penis was not a reproductive organ, but instead a 'damaging social construct,' which they described as 'isomorphic to performative toxic masculinity.' The essay became even more absurd as the authors attempted to link the penis with climate change.
The authors later admitted that the essay was a hoax. In fact, their names were fabricated. The real authors were Peter Boghossian and James A. Lindsay. They explained that they intentionally created the essay to be humorous and nonsensical, even going over it multiple times to ensure it made no sense.
Lindsay and Boghossian claimed their purpose in writing the essay was to highlight the bias often present in gender studies writing. However, they also unintentionally exposed the fact that paid-to-publish journals like Cogent Social Sciences will publish anything for money. After the hoax was revealed, the journal attempted to retract the essay to save face.
6. Castration Anxiety
Castration anxiety is another concept proposed by Sigmund Freud. He suggested that boys experience castration anxiety when they realize that girls do not have penises. This revelation shocks the boys, and they somehow conclude that girls lost their penises as a punishment for misbehavior.
This discovery leads boys to fear that their own penises might be cut off as a form of punishment. Freud termed this fear 'castration anxiety' and claimed it typically arises during the phallic stage, one of the five psychosexual stages of development proposed by Freud.
The five stages of psychosexual development are the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages, in that order. Each stage is defined by a body part that is considered most important for satisfying needs, except during the latency stage, when sexual interests become secondary. In the oral, anal, phallic, and genital stages, these body parts are the mouth, anus, and genitals, respectively.
Freud believed that castration anxiety was often a result of the Oedipus and Electra complexes, which we will discuss in the next two entries.
5. Oedipus Complex
Freud suggested that the Oedipus complex emerges during the phallic stage, much like castration anxiety. However, the Oedipus complex precedes and contributes to the development of castration anxiety. Freud believed that boys experience their first sexual feelings during the phallic stage, which they unconsciously direct toward their mothers. This attraction is what Freud called the Oedipus complex: the sexual feelings a child has for their mother.
Fortunately, boys quickly realize that their fathers have already claimed their mothers. This leads them to view their fathers as rivals for their mother's affection. Then, the boys learn that women do not have penises. As discussed earlier, the boys assume that women lost their penises as punishment.
The boys fear that their fathers could also cut off their penises if the father discovers the son's feelings for the mother. As a result, they suppress their sexual feelings toward their mothers and form an alliance with their fathers to protect their penises. This marks the end of the phallic stage and the beginning of the latency stage, during which the child experiences no sexual feelings.
4. Electra Complex
At the same time Freud developed the Oedipus complex, he also introduced the concept of the 'negative Oedipus complex' or 'feminine Oedipus attitude.' This is the opposite, feminine version of the male Oedipus complex and is believed to occur during the phallic stage as well.
Freud suggested that girls are generally closer to their mothers than their fathers at birth. However, this changes when they reach the phallic stage. Just like boys, girls become aware that they do not have penises. They, too, believe they once had penises but lost them after being castrated.
Instead of developing castration anxiety like boys, girls experience the Electra complex. This leads them to feel resentment toward their mothers, whom they blame for their castration. At the same time, they form a closer bond with their fathers due to his possession of a penis. However, as they enter the latency stage, the girl rekindles her relationship with her mother.
As mentioned earlier, Freud referred to this syndrome as the negative Oedipus complex or the feminine Oedipus attitude. This term changed in 1913 when Carl Jung, a former associate of Freud, renamed it the Electra complex. Freud, however, rejected this new name.
3. Phallic Monism
Phallic monism is the idea that psychosexual development is defined by the presence (or absence) of a penis. Having a penis is considered the standard, while lacking one is viewed as a deviation from this norm.
Do you remember the five stages of psychosexual development we discussed earlier? Initially, Freud proposed only four stages: the oral, anal, latency, and genital stages. However, he later revised this model to include the phallic stage, which falls between the anal and latency stages.
As we’ve already mentioned, children typically become aware of the differences in each other’s genitals during the phallic stage. This marks a significant distinction between the phallic and genital stages. Although both stages involve the sexual organs as the main source of pleasure, the phallic stage is focused on the possession (or lack) of a penis, whereas the genital stage centers on sexual relationships.
Despite this, phallic monism was controversial among female psychologists, who strongly critiqued Freud’s theory and put forth pro-female perspectives in response. Some argued that men’s desire for women actually gives women an advantage, even though they lack penises and supposedly suffer from penis envy.
2. Big Shoes Equal Big Penises
There is a common belief that a man’s shoe size can reveal the size of his penis. According to this theory, larger shoes (and consequently bigger feet) are thought to indicate a larger penis. However, multiple studies have debunked this idea, proving that there is no correlation between shoe size and penis size.
A 1999 study conducted on several hundred Korean men found no link between shoe size and penis size. The researchers measured various body parts, such as mouths, hands, and feet, of 655 men in an effort to determine any correlation with penis size. The findings revealed no connection. However, they did find some correlation between the length and circumference of the penis.
The conclusions of this study align with the results of several others, including one involving 104 men, all of which showed that shoe size is not a reliable indicator of penis size. Interestingly, a 1993 study involving 63 Canadian men suggested that men with larger feet might be slightly more likely to have longer penises. However, that study is considered inconclusive.
1. Medusa’s Head
Medusa, a legendary figure from Greek mythology, is famously depicted as a woman with snakes for hair. Anyone who looks directly at her face is instantly turned to stone. So, what does Medusa have to do with penises? Quite a bit, it turns out.
By now, you may have noticed that Sigmund Freud had a particular focus on penises. He even linked his theory of castration anxiety to the myth of Medusa. Freud explored this connection between castration anxiety and Medusa’s head in a 1922 work, though it wasn't published until 1940, after his death.
Freud suggested that the emotions boys feel when they realize girls do not have penises are comparable to the feelings one experiences when facing Medusa. He argued that both Medusa’s gaze and castration anxiety trigger a combination of attraction and fear simultaneously.
A boy dealing with castration anxiety grows curious about girls when he learns they lack penises. However, this absence also causes him fear. Similarly, when a man gazes upon Medusa with snakes for hair, he experiences both terror and an involuntary sexual attraction.
