http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-short-guys...g-whos-a-b

An unusual article, I'm not a very big guy, but I more than make up for it by being intelligent. But bigger guys can also be intelligent, so there's not much difference. I really don't understand what the article is trying to say, it would seem too broad. Height isn't all that important, unless you're living in some isolated tribe in the middle of the jungle.

If you're in a fight, height matters; and if you have an interpersonal confrontation where there is absolutely no chance of it ending in a fight then height still matters.

(02-03-2012 11:02 PM)Pheroquirk Wrote:  If you're in a fight, height matters; and if you have an interpersonal confrontation where there is absolutely no chance of it ending in a fight then height still matters.

No, it does not, not if you have the ability to avoid confrontation and establish alliances easily, which is something I happen to have a natural ability to do. And no one has ever bossed me around who was bigger than I, for example when I was younger I was sucker punched by someone bigger than I for no reason. One week later a group of guys I knew got together and beat the crap out of him. Also, when I was younger I was known for challenging the school bullies and I did it by being smarter than they were. I refute this whole inferiority arguement the article is conveying. You cannot define dominance or who is or isn't dominant in any given situation based solely on height. It's a generalization that isn't based on anything substantial other than the opinions of a few academics.

I will also add that two of the most powerful and dominant men to ever live were both five feet tall. They were Alexander the Great and Napoleon of France. Everyone knows that.

Economists have nice boilerplate language - ceteris paribus, or other things being equal. Ceteris paribus, height matters. To recognize that is not to say that it is the only thing, or that other things can not exceed its impact.

I'm tall enough, and I am almost never in a situation where there is a real risk of a physical confrontation. But when dealing face to face with a man very much taller than you, even if it is in the most elevated surroundings imaginable, and you have the overwhelming status advantage... the height of the other chap is a factor.

In London I am a bit taller than average. In Amsterdam, I might be on the short side. I can imagine that growing up there a man of my height might be more sensitized to more subtle indicators of dominance than I have had to be in London.

And there are more subtle interpersonal contests. Ever been competing for a girl with a chap very much larger than you? It certainly doesn't tend to make things easier.

A generalization is just that. It might be wrong very often. But there is some information there. This being said, it sounds, Curiosity, as if in a certain sense you happen to fit the expectation of this generalisation in that you naturally have a certain social discernment, or have deliberately cultivated it.

(02-03-2012 11:23 PM)Curiosity Wrote:  I will also add that two of the most powerful and dominant men to ever live were both five feet tall. They were Alexander the Great and Napoleon of France. Everyone knows that.

Yes and many more : Julius Caesar was 5'2, and even recently both Hitler and Goebbels were both very short if you compare them to the average German male heights.
Even currently, maybe the most dominant men in Europe, in Africa, and in Asia, mostly presidents of countries, sometimes even dictators...are shorter than the average of men in their country...When you know all the competition and all the men they had to dominate and to "fight" in order to get to these positions, you cannot assume that the height matters....

Yes, I would say I would be an exception to the generalization if it happens to be true in other situations. Have I competed for a girl with a guy who was larger than I? Yes, a few times, but I also have a tendancy not to take relations with girls all that seriously. I've certain attributes that come naturally that work well. But I would say that when I do go after the ladies, it just so happens that, and not on purpose per se, but no one really knows about it until it's over. There have been many surprised people, thinking back on things.

I would say, dominance is not about who is bigger or smaller, but it is about who is more sure of themself in a situation. Who has the stronger mindset and frame of reference. That is what dominance is.

(02-03-2012 11:23 PM)Curiosity Wrote:  I will also add that two of the most powerful and dominant men to ever live were both five feet tall. They were Alexander the Great and Napoleon of France. Everyone knows that.

I'm not so sure...
With Napoleon there was confusion in converting from French measurements to English.

Quote:The myth that he (Napoleon) was short stems primarily from the fact that he is listed as 5 feet 2 inches tall at the time of his death. However, this is 5 feet 2 inches in French units. In modern international units, he was just shy of 5 feet 7 inches. Now I know you are saying “well that is still pretty short”. That is true by modern day standards in certain places in the world, such as the United States. However, at the time in France, the average height for an adult male was about 5 feet 5 inches in modern international units. So in fact, he was quite tall for his day.

todayifoundout.com

Re: A the G

Quote: Andrew Stewart, places his height at 5’7” which is very close to my own estimate of 5’6” - just short enough to be noticed, but not to be disadvantageous and not worthy of mention in contemporary writings by authors who would have ran about the same height.

pothos.org - All about Alexander the Great

One might combine the results of this study with the knowledge that low status people tend to be much more observant in certain respects than do high status people. Senior management often tends to be oblivious, for a variety of reasons.

Most of the SAS is under 5' 10". I wouldn't mess with them.

---

Most of the SAS is under 5' 10". I wouldn't mess with them.