Most men value their penises above almost any other body part (perhaps with the exception of their balls) and want to feel good about it.
Because circumcision changes how a man's penis looks like it has an impact on the owner's body image and self esteem.
Most men who live where circumcision is common tend not to think about it, after all, if you are like everybody else you know it is usually not a cause for concern. Others seem to be impacted by it, often very deeply, in a positive or negative way.
Interestingly one of the most common objection from those who hate being circumcised is that "it looks ugly". At the other end of the spectrum men who like that they are circumcised usually list that "it looks better" as an argument in support why being circumcised is a good thing. In fact men who chose to get a circumcision as adults often cite aesthetics as one of the main reasons why they did it.
Can both sides be right? Well sort of.
One can have really messed up scarring, skin bridges, accidental cuts into the glans. Most cosmetic problems can be repaired by a competent urologist or plastic surgeon, if that is the real source of one's dissatisfaction. Although doctors like to dismiss such requests as unnecessary, making it look better can make the patient feel better about himself.
It seems, however, that quite often the dissatisfaction is purely psychological. Many men hate the look of their circumcised penises because they hate being circumcised in the first place. Some complain that a circumcised penis does not look "natural" and they feel miserable about it even in the absence of any physical problems. In fact men who are quite happy about their circumcision may not have all that different penises from those who claim to have been disfigured.
A common complaint is that being circumcised makes some men feel mutilated. They do not care how nicely they were circumcised, the fact that they no longer have a foreskin makes them feel incomplete. Hard core intactivists often insist that anyone who is circumcised and does not feel depressed enough about it is in denial.
But missing a foreskin can hardly be compared to missing a limb, simply the penis's skin cover is shortened so that it does not fold over the glans -- it is more like a face lift than an amputation. Some like to dwell on inventing names for every little section of the human foreskin so that the parts removed during circumcision can be inventoried, but inventing names for each square millimeter of that skin does not make it any more important, and does not turn it into a vital organ. On the other hand obsessing about the perceived loss certainly can make one feel miserable about himself.
Some seem to be genuinely unable to feel whole without that extra bit of skin, or simply resent that it was removed without their permission. Others appear to have successfully convinced themselves that there was something wrong with them after reading propaganda on the Internet about the lost nerve endings and such. As if someone is deliberately trying to give himself body dysmorphic disorder.
They say that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Certainly cultural norms influence how people think about parting with one's foreskin.
Ancient Greek beauty standards, apart from being obsessed with tiny penises, prized the foreskin greatly. In fact they though of the foreskin as two distinct body parts, the posthe (foreskin) and the acroposthion (the overhang in front of the glans). So in ancient Greece a well hung circumcised guy would have been considered unattractive while someone with a tiny little prick with an extra long foreskin would have been the subject of envy -- as weird as it may sound. Naturally they did not want to give up their foreskins. Public nudity was socially acceptable under certain circumstances, but being seen psolos (the glans showing) was considered to be indecent (kind of how we regard public nudity in modern times). That meant one could not even wear his foreskin retracted because it would have been considered indecent if anyone saw it. So a circumcised person in ancient Greece would have been an outcast, unless his circumcision was loose enough to conceal it by wearing a kynodesme.
In other parts of the world circumcision was part of the initiation ceremony into adulthood. So naturally one would want to show proof that he has gone through the trials and he is now an adult member of society. It wasn't so much about aesthetics as circumcision status. The uncircumcised were not considered to be men but boys, and might not have been allowed to have sex at all (which is a good motivation to suck it up, and get the cut). This is still true in some places such as parts of Africa or surprisingly in the Philippines.
Thus someone from ancient Greece would have been ridiculed in various parts of Africa (and regarded as a child, not a man), just as much as a circumcised African would have been a social outcast in ancient Greece.
Yet in their own respective homelands both could have been considered fine examples of manhood.
In Europe circumcision was historically uncommon. Only Jews and Muslims practiced circumcision and almost nobody else did. Unlike in the US where kids may get teased in school if their are uncircumcised, in Europe it is the other way around and circumcised kids (or sometimes even adults) who are likely to be the targets of unpleasant comments.
Many Europeans still think of circumcision as something completely foreign to them. In Northern Europe several governments have tried to ban circumcision, even in countries with an existing large Muslim population. At the same time it is becoming more socially acceptable to get a circumcision for purely personal reasons, i.e. not just to cure some disease.
When the English speaking world has first adapted circumcision it was a sign of high social status, the royal family, the nobility, the rich and the military started the practice, but later it has become widespread. In the UK the circumcision rate has severely declined ever since the NHS has stopped paying for it.
On the other side of the ocean, in North America, circumcision is still fairly common, although the numbers have been declining there too (also partly due to insurance not covering it), so the societal norm that one has to conform to may change over time. Also, because of the lack of insurance coverage high income parents are more likely to have their sons circumcised and high income men are more likely to be able to afford an adult circumcision than low income ones, so once again there is a distinction between social classes.
Circumcision can be performed for religious, cultural, or medical reasons (either to cure a condition, or simply to improve hygiene and prevent disease). Others may regard circumcision (especially an adult circumcision) as any other body modification, like getting a tattoo or a piercing, often citing aesthetics or improved sex as reasons to do it.
Unlike your tattoos or piercings, you typically cannot show off your circumcision because it is on a body part that society expects you to cover up in most situations -- Europeans tend to tolerate more public nudity than North Americans do, but even there you can't exactly show up for work naked. Still there are situations when others will see it, so appearance does matter.
In the bedroom a potential mate can certainly see it.
In the a locker room or a public shower your peers can see it. Even though straight men typically don't think about the "aesthetics" of other men's penises, they do compare themselves to every other male and create some sort of pecking order based on who is more likely to attract potential mates. For such an order to have any meaning it needs to be based on the same criteria as the females of the species would use to evaluate their males as potential mates. While men do not always know what women want, usually they are not that far off -- although men do tend to obsess about size, particularly length, even though women care more about girth. But everything that makes a difference counts.
In the US, circumcision is the cultural norm, and it is regarded as a sign of being a real American. Not surprisingly in the US the high and tight circumcision style is fairly common with the scar displayed midshaft thus making one's circumcision status rather obvious.
Recently, probably due to the influence of American porn, circumcision and the high and tight circumcision style has become more fashionable in Europe and many European men are getting circumcised for personal (not medical) reasons. Among them the high and tight "American" style is becoming more fashionable.
Also there are culture dependent factors, e.g. some Africans till this day may expect more significant scarring as proof that the circumcision was done in the traditional way, not in a hospital under anesthesia. This is supposed to be a proof of a man's bravery (or rather the lack of circumcision is considered to be a proof of one's cowardice) and women tend to find men displaying signs of their bravery more attractive, even if from a purely aesthetic point of view one would expect the opposite.
Other factors certainly influence how satisfied someone is with his circumcision and the appearance of his penis. People who perceive circumcision as something that improves sex will find a circumcised penis more attractive while those who believe circumcision hurts one's sex life will consider it less attractive.
So naturally people who think that their circumcision has harmed their ability to experience sexual pleasure also complain that it has made their penises look ugly with an unsightly scar -- even if their scar looks exactly the same as the next guy's who cannot be happier about his circumcision. People who claim that circumcision has improved their sex life tend to think that their circumcised penises also look better than they would uncircumcised -- even if there is visible scarring or stitch marks -- and they tend to think of their circumcision scar as a seal of approval of some sort.
Whether you are overjoyed how good your circumcised penis looks or you are depressed because you have a scar where your foreskin used to be, beauty (or the lack of it) is mostly a matter of perception.
It also works the other way, if you think that your penis is ugly you are more likely to be dissatisfied with other aspects of it as well, while if you think it looks great you are more likely to think that it also works great.
Which may very well explain why circumcision debates tend to be so extremely polarized. One side usually wants to ban circumcision outright, while the other side is arguing for making it mandatory. This may very well be because your expectations have a way of coming true, reinforcing your original view.
If you perceive your circumcision as something that has made you more masculine and it has made your penis look better your self esteem goes up, you appreciate your body more and most likely you will get more pleasure out of your cut penis.
On the other hand if you start with the assumption that you have been mutilated or disfigured, your penis is irreparably damaged, and you will never be able to fully function as a man then your self esteem goes down and you get depressed even just thinking about your penis.
If you are already circumcised and you are OK with it, do not listen to propaganda designed to recruit men who do not know better to some anti-circumcision crusade. It is intended to make you feel bitter, depressed and angry so that you may join their cause. Nothing good lies ahead if you go down that path.
If you are considering circumcision think carefully about its benefits, and try to resolve beforehand if you will be OK when you will only a have scar where your foreskin used to be. Most of us are fine with it, but if it freaks you out then you are probably not ready for the cut just yet. If you are sure you want to get circumcised you should go for it, you will be probably happier afterwards. Just choose your doctor carefully so you don't have any regrets afterwards.
In the a locker room or a public shower your peers can see it. Even though straight men typically don't think about the "aesthetics" of other men's penises, they do compare themselves to every other male and create some sort of pecking order based on who is more likely to attract potential mates. For such an order to have any meaning it needs to be based on the same criteria as the females of the species would use to evaluate their males as potential mates. While men do not always know what women want, usually they are not that far off -- although men do tend to obsess about size, particularly length, even though women care more about girth. But everything that makes a difference counts.
Fashion, societal norms, perceived value of health and other benefits all play a role in what kind of look is more desirable in any given culture.
Traditionally in most of Europe circumcisions were only performed for medical reasons. If one had to get circumcised the typical style was a low circumcision (which incidentally has the most health benefits). Also the cut was often a bit loose with some skin bunched up behind the glans. From a distance it may look like a penis with the foreskin retracted.
In the US, circumcision is the cultural norm, and it is regarded as a sign of being a real American. Not surprisingly in the US the high and tight circumcision style is fairly common with the scar displayed midshaft thus making one's circumcision status rather obvious.
Recently, probably due to the influence of American porn, circumcision and the high and tight circumcision style has become more fashionable in Europe and many European men are getting circumcised for personal (not medical) reasons. Among them the high and tight "American" style is becoming more fashionable.
In a society where people are conscious about its health benefits a circumcised penis will be considered better looking simply because it advertises good health, or at least the promise of good health. We are products of evolution, and our brains are hard wired to seek out mates that look healthy, so healthier means more attractive. So signs of anything that is perceived to be healthier makes it automatically look better.
If one believes that "a circumcised penis is a healthy penis", it creates the perception that a circumcised penis is more attractive.
Naturally the normal criteria for beauty still apply, so an even and neat scar line and a streamlined appearance will look better than an uneven scar, prominent stitch marks or a half done "partial" circumcision.
Really messed up circumcisions can and should be revised by a competent professional. Some insist on perfect results, especially if their main reason for getting a circumcision is aesthetics, but cosmetic imperfections aren't exactly rare and if they don't cause other problems they can be ignored. Not everyone wants to have another surgery just because it may make it look better.
Naturally the normal criteria for beauty still apply, so an even and neat scar line and a streamlined appearance will look better than an uneven scar, prominent stitch marks or a half done "partial" circumcision.
Really messed up circumcisions can and should be revised by a competent professional. Some insist on perfect results, especially if their main reason for getting a circumcision is aesthetics, but cosmetic imperfections aren't exactly rare and if they don't cause other problems they can be ignored. Not everyone wants to have another surgery just because it may make it look better.
Also there are culture dependent factors, e.g. some Africans till this day may expect more significant scarring as proof that the circumcision was done in the traditional way, not in a hospital under anesthesia. This is supposed to be a proof of a man's bravery (or rather the lack of circumcision is considered to be a proof of one's cowardice) and women tend to find men displaying signs of their bravery more attractive, even if from a purely aesthetic point of view one would expect the opposite.
Other factors certainly influence how satisfied someone is with his circumcision and the appearance of his penis. People who perceive circumcision as something that improves sex will find a circumcised penis more attractive while those who believe circumcision hurts one's sex life will consider it less attractive.
So naturally people who think that their circumcision has harmed their ability to experience sexual pleasure also complain that it has made their penises look ugly with an unsightly scar -- even if their scar looks exactly the same as the next guy's who cannot be happier about his circumcision. People who claim that circumcision has improved their sex life tend to think that their circumcised penises also look better than they would uncircumcised -- even if there is visible scarring or stitch marks -- and they tend to think of their circumcision scar as a seal of approval of some sort.
Whether you are overjoyed how good your circumcised penis looks or you are depressed because you have a scar where your foreskin used to be, beauty (or the lack of it) is mostly a matter of perception.
It also works the other way, if you think that your penis is ugly you are more likely to be dissatisfied with other aspects of it as well, while if you think it looks great you are more likely to think that it also works great.
Which may very well explain why circumcision debates tend to be so extremely polarized. One side usually wants to ban circumcision outright, while the other side is arguing for making it mandatory. This may very well be because your expectations have a way of coming true, reinforcing your original view.
If you perceive your circumcision as something that has made you more masculine and it has made your penis look better your self esteem goes up, you appreciate your body more and most likely you will get more pleasure out of your cut penis.
On the other hand if you start with the assumption that you have been mutilated or disfigured, your penis is irreparably damaged, and you will never be able to fully function as a man then your self esteem goes down and you get depressed even just thinking about your penis.
If you are already circumcised and you are OK with it, do not listen to propaganda designed to recruit men who do not know better to some anti-circumcision crusade. It is intended to make you feel bitter, depressed and angry so that you may join their cause. Nothing good lies ahead if you go down that path.
If you are considering circumcision think carefully about its benefits, and try to resolve beforehand if you will be OK when you will only a have scar where your foreskin used to be. Most of us are fine with it, but if it freaks you out then you are probably not ready for the cut just yet. If you are sure you want to get circumcised you should go for it, you will be probably happier afterwards. Just choose your doctor carefully so you don't have any regrets afterwards.
