Are People Getting Taller or Shorter?

[Euphoriet]

Is it true that taller people tend to be more successful?
stupid question I know but I had to ask

heh.. are people getting taller or shorter.. I mean.. I would say that new generations keep on getting taller but I am not sure..

 

[Evo]

Is it true that taller people tend to be more successful?
stupid question I know but I had to ask

heh.. are people getting taller or shorter.. I mean.. I would say that new generations keep on getting taller but I am not sure..

Good question. Looking around at the people I work with I cannot see any correlation between height and success. I don't know if any valid studies have been done on this.

 

[Janitor]

I am six-foot one inch.

 

[wasteofo2]

Alexander the great was pretty short, and he was arguably the most successful person ever.

 

[ShawnD]

Stalin and Napoleon were shorties as well. Was Hitler tall? He never came across as being tall in the footage I've seen him in... but perhaps he had big guys arround him.

 

[Polly]

Deng Xiaoping whose Open-door and Reform policy in the 80's changes the lives of Chinese all over the world and the course of world history was pretty short as well.

 

[ShawnD]

Deng Xiaoping whose Open-door and Reform policy in the 80's changes the lives of Chinese all over the world and the course of world history was pretty short as well.

Yes but Asian people are generally shorter. Was Deng taller or shorter than the people around him?

 

[Polly]

He was about 5"1'? short even by Asian standard.

 

[Ebolamonk3y]

Hawking a short dude.

 

[Euphoriet]

heheh someone has it all mixed up then ;-P.. how about a counter argument.. ARE SHORTER PEOPLE MORE SUCCESSFUL THEN TALL PEOPLE

 

[The_Professional]

Taller people + Success = Negative

Average-Short people + Success = Positive

Why? because I believe so!

 

[member 5645]

Taller people are absolutely seen as leaders and powerfigures by default, more often than short people.
There's TONS on google about this.

There's also the rumor that ever since televised presidential debates have happened, the taller candidate has won - I'm too tired to validate this, but I stand by my first statement.

 

[ShawnD]

There's also the rumor that ever since televised presidential debates have happened, the taller candidate has won - I'm too tired to validate this, but I stand by my first statement.

There's some truth to that, but it's based on looks. Before Kennedy and Nixon appeared on TV, it was generally accepted that Nixon won most debates on the radio. For the televised debates, people generally thought Kennedy won the debate.

 

[Njorl]

I don't know if tall people are more successful. I think people assume tall people are more competent for some reason, as long as they aren't too tall.

What I want to know is this. Are short people more violent? Everytime I hear about someone getting pissed off and shooting someone in an argument, he's 5'6". Maybe they're pissed off because tall people are getting all the respect!

Njorl

 

[Njorl]

It is suprising what engenders respect. A friend of mine was traveling in Malaysia not long ago. He happens to have a very large, curved and sharp nose. We have jokingly referred to it as a beak. He told us that he went to a nive resturaunt for dinner. They immediately got him a table though there were other people waiting. The waiter later told him that he had a very impressive nose. It was the "nose of the hawk". They told him he should be called sometthing in Malay that meant "nose of the hawk".

He never found out if they were really impressed with his nose, or if they were just having some fun with him.

Njorl

 

[ShawnD]

What I want to know is this. Are short people more violent? Everytime I hear about someone getting pissed off and shooting someone in an argument, he's 5'6".

I've always seen it the other way around.
Notice how the most violent kid in school is the big kid?
Notice the guy at the bar who wants to start something is the big guy?

 

[Njorl]

I've always seen it the other way around.
Notice how the most violent kid in school is the big kid?
Notice the guy at the bar who wants to start something is the big guy?

I've noticed that in movies and TV, but not in real life.

 

[motai]

Americans generally like taller people. Look at Lincoln. Or how about Ronald Reagan and Michael Dukakis. Reagan towered over Dukakis and that may have influenced his election (other than him being an actor, of course).

Hirohito was also very short.

 

[recon]

It is suprising what engenders respect. A friend of mine was traveling in Malaysia not long ago. He happens to have a very large, curved and sharp nose. We have jokingly referred to it as a beak. He told us that he went to a nive resturaunt for dinner. They immediately got him a table though there were other people waiting. The waiter later told him that he had a very impressive nose. It was the "nose of the hawk". They told him he should be called sometthing in Malay that meant "nose of the hawk".

He never found out if they were really impressed with his nose, or if they were just having some fun with him.

Njorl

"Nose of the Hawk" is "Paruh Helang" in Malay.

 

[ElectroPhysics]

My observation about successful short height people is that they are normaly clever and present minded persons.

 

[BoulderHead]

Taller people are absolutely seen as leaders and powerfigures by default, more often than short people.
There's TONS on google about this.

There's also the rumor that ever since televised presidential debates have happened, the taller candidate has won - I'm too tired to validate this, but I stand by my first statement.

In one of the Bush/Dukakis debates I recall Bush having found some pretence to walk over towards Dukakis for a display of posturing. That this was a planned maneuver would come as no surprise to me. The intent would have been so the viewing audience could see the big man tower over the small man.

Well, you ain‘t so big, you‘re just tall, that‘s all.
- Jimmy Reed - Big Boss Man

 

[Mattius_]

I just learned in psychology the other day that women prefer taller men. So one could say that the taller men with the better looking women are of higher status and thus are more successful.

 

[Mattius_]

On another note, shorter people, for example, Napolean, Stalin, and Deng, had all compensated for their apparent weaknesses by overcompensating in other areas. So for these exceptions, it would appear that being short is somewhat of an advantage, but studies show that generally speaking, being tall leads to a more successful life.

To further exemplify the compensation theory, Wilhelm II had a really bad arm, and consequently became huge control freak.

 

[franznietzsche]

I just learned in psychology the other day that women prefer taller men. So one could say that the taller men with the better looking women are of higher status and thus are more successful.

You had to be told this to know?

 

[BoulderHead]

We are not all ubermen, franznietzsche.

 

[franznietzsche]

We are not all ubermen, franznietzsche.

Very nice, me neither, but still from experience i mean it should be a reasonable deduction that such is the case.

 

[Kerrie]

Stalin and Napoleon were shorties as well. Was Hitler tall? He never came across as being tall in the footage I've seen him in... but perhaps he had big guys arround him.

little men, big egos just kiddin...

 

[Integral]

I have always thougth it was the short guys that had to compensate for their obvious short comings by inflating their ego.

Oh, yeah, I am 6'3" have never been particually popular with the women (I seem to be more the brother type!) nor am I a screaming financial tycoon or a politican, so much for stereotypes.

 

[BoulderHead]

I have always thougth it was the short guys that had to compensate for their obvious short comings by inflating their ego.

Short Persons Disease ?

 

[Njorl]

I am suddenly remended of Monty Python's "Archeology Today" skit.

"Yes, I'm only five foot six! Yes I slump forward in my chair! BUT I'VE HAD MORE WOMEN THAN EITHER OF YOU!"

Njorl