....Well that's the sentiments of many. As Randy Newman sang ..... Short people got no reason to live, they wear platform shoes on their nasty little feet. They have nasty little ideas. Don't want no short people 'Round here
... reflecting the idea that small people cant be trusted, and that small men in particular are prone to the 'Napoleon Complex'.
This complex was, and is widely believed to be true, but has no actual supporting evidence .... until now. A recent study has found that small men are more aggressive than taller men. The researchers asked 42 Dutch men (many of whom were tall, as the Dutch are the tallest people on average in the world), to play the dictator game (I'm not familiar with this game, but apparently its used a lot in psychological studies).
Each person is given a number of coins (18 in this test), after briefly being introduced to their playing partner. They are then asked to take what they want from the coins, and leave the rest for their partner. On average the smaller men took 14 of the coins, leaving only 4 for their playing partner. The tall men took a lot less on average, with the tallest man, who was 6'6" only taking 9 coins. This could therefore be interpreted as an aggressive act by the smaller men.
However, equally it may be just a common sense hangover from when taller men had a better survival chances, so smaller men had to grab resources when and where they could. Apparently when the game rules were made more complex, with coin hogging maybe leading to everyone losing their coins, smaller men were not significantly more selfish or aggressive than tall men.
Actually its strange that its called the Napoleon complex as he was actually 5 feet 7 inches tall (but with a small penis) . .. quite tall for the time.
However like Frederick the Great, he picked very tall men for the Imperial Guards, and that coupled with the nickname of the little corporal given him by his enemies, has led people to think of him as small.
Funnily enough, Winston Churchill at 5'5" (1.67m) a height he shared with Josef Stalin, were both smaller men. Adolf Hitler at 5'7" (1.75m) was the same height as Napoleon, while another French emperor, Charles De Gaulle was 6'4" (1.96m) and would have made Napoleons imperial guard.
But is it any wonder if small men can get a bit uppity?
Consider their problems:
There is in fact something of a small conspiracy against small men ....and that's not all ...
Researchers at Exeter University have found that on average, shorter men earn less than their taller colleagues. Their findings, based on a study of 120,000 people, show that for every three inches shorter you are, you can expect on average to earn £1,500 less a year. For women by the way, it’s all about weight: those who are a stone heavier than a colleague of the same height earns £1,500 a year less.
Me? Well I am a giant ... 5'8" (1.77m), and yes I have noted that taller men get promoted far easier.
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| Captain Mannering Had A Small Person Complex With Sergeant Wilson |
... reflecting the idea that small people cant be trusted, and that small men in particular are prone to the 'Napoleon Complex'.
This complex was, and is widely believed to be true, but has no actual supporting evidence .... until now. A recent study has found that small men are more aggressive than taller men. The researchers asked 42 Dutch men (many of whom were tall, as the Dutch are the tallest people on average in the world), to play the dictator game (I'm not familiar with this game, but apparently its used a lot in psychological studies).
Each person is given a number of coins (18 in this test), after briefly being introduced to their playing partner. They are then asked to take what they want from the coins, and leave the rest for their partner. On average the smaller men took 14 of the coins, leaving only 4 for their playing partner. The tall men took a lot less on average, with the tallest man, who was 6'6" only taking 9 coins. This could therefore be interpreted as an aggressive act by the smaller men.
However, equally it may be just a common sense hangover from when taller men had a better survival chances, so smaller men had to grab resources when and where they could. Apparently when the game rules were made more complex, with coin hogging maybe leading to everyone losing their coins, smaller men were not significantly more selfish or aggressive than tall men.
Actually its strange that its called the Napoleon complex as he was actually 5 feet 7 inches tall (but with a small penis) . .. quite tall for the time.
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| Napoleon And His Tall Imperial Guards |
However like Frederick the Great, he picked very tall men for the Imperial Guards, and that coupled with the nickname of the little corporal given him by his enemies, has led people to think of him as small.
Funnily enough, Winston Churchill at 5'5" (1.67m) a height he shared with Josef Stalin, were both smaller men. Adolf Hitler at 5'7" (1.75m) was the same height as Napoleon, while another French emperor, Charles De Gaulle was 6'4" (1.96m) and would have made Napoleons imperial guard.
But is it any wonder if small men can get a bit uppity?
Consider their problems:
- Tall oaf's blocking the cinema screen or football in front of them.
- Always the last person to be served at the pub.
- Every new pair of trousers has to be taken up.
- Beginning to drown in the five foot zone of the swimming pool.
- Having to get on chairs to shout in someone's face.
- Having to get on chairs again to get things from cupboards.
- Having to get on chairs yet again to ask women out.
- Having to be at male crotch height in crowded trains.
There is in fact something of a small conspiracy against small men ....and that's not all ...
Researchers at Exeter University have found that on average, shorter men earn less than their taller colleagues. Their findings, based on a study of 120,000 people, show that for every three inches shorter you are, you can expect on average to earn £1,500 less a year. For women by the way, it’s all about weight: those who are a stone heavier than a colleague of the same height earns £1,500 a year less.
Me? Well I am a giant ... 5'8" (1.77m), and yes I have noted that taller men get promoted far easier.
Two word joke : Dwarf shortage.
ReplyDeleteJohn Le Mesurier who played Sergeant Wilson above, was also Bilbo Baggins in the radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, someone famously challenged in the height department.
Looks matter ..and so does height because we're the product of evolution which has favoured these traits. It also found a use for deception, hence the misinformation about Napoleon.
See ... the tall John Le Mesurier was given a short persons role on the radio. Proves my point. Thanks for the comment.
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