Height

[Deleted]

Boy am I glad to be 5'7"!

news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060825/ts_nm/economy_height_dc

[bluedelft]

divinemrse said:

Boy am I glad to be 5'7"!

news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060825/ts_nm/economy_height_dc

According to that story I'm about average height.

[inuvik]

I'm glad too, I'm taller than you Bebe, and Ron Eldard! (not his IMDB height, but what those who have met him say his height is) . I guess that's why I'm so brilliant.

[shmeep]

Interesting article, Bebe. I seem to remember interpreting a lecture about that study. The teacher was short and was quite cranky about the idea of tall people having things so much easier, but she didn't deny it to be true.

My two interpreting professors talked about height quite a lot. One was 5'11" and one was barely above 5'--both were women--and they said they had always noticed a difference in the way they are treated when they went places together. People tended to gravitate toward the taller one and they spoke to her as if she was the one "in charge" so there may be something to this whole height thing. I know it's unfair, but it's something that seems to happen on an unconscious level.

I'm 5'7" but feel quite short in my family, since my brothers and dad are all in the 6'2"-6'5" range. I can't say they ever got better pay for being tall, but since most of them are teachers, I guess such rules don't apply.

I think height can be a positive or a negative thing. My cousin is six feet tall and she's only sixteen years old and it works for her because she's graceful and athletic and cute. The same can't be said for one poor high school student I knew where I used to interpret. She was 6'4", pudgy, and awkward--and unattractive. All this combined to make her seem just...awkward. I'm sure having such height in her situation won't make her seem desirable or impressive in the work place. Just...awkward, poor thing.

I'm glad I didn't reach any unusual height because I'm not all that graceful myself and extra height would not have been a good thing. Also, any taller and my 5'10" husband would have been scared to approach me. He was borderline scared to begin with, but that was probably because I had an inch of hair when I met him and I was wearing combat boots and a Star Trek t-shirt.

[maggiethecat]

admin said:

He was borderline scared to begin with, but that was probably because I had an inch of hair when I met him and I was wearing combat boots and a Star Trek t-shirt.

That is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. ;D

[shmeep]

maggiethecat said:

admin said:

He was borderline scared to begin with, but that was probably because I had an inch of hair when I met him and I was wearing combat boots and a Star Trek t-shirt.

That is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. ;D

I'm glad you can laugh at the visual. It hits a bit close to home for me, so I cringe. Yes, I was at my all-time ugliest with the worst look of my life--complete with acne for some reason--when I met my husband, so that's how I know it was love.

[Deleted]

admin said:

maggiethecat said:

That is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. ;D

I'm glad you can laugh at the visual. It hits a bit close to home for me, so I cringe. Yes, I was at my all-time ugliest with the worst look of my life--complete with acne for some reason--when I met my husband, so that's how I know it was love.

First of all, you're not ugly!

Secondly, that WAS hilarious indeed!!!

Thirdly, while there are some advantages to being tall, there is a downside. For me, it was always getting the blame in school - "the tall redhead did it..."

I don't exactly blend in a crowd.

[Duchess of Lashes]

OMG, Shmeep! That visual is just not coming to me at all - I'm trying, but I'm just not getting it!

I've been an 1/8 of inch under 5'8" since I was 13! And at that age, I towered over all of my classmates....until he came to our school......thirteen years old and 6'3" (6'6" I swear, if you included his hair!)

I used think we were the two smartest kids in the class (okay, tallest) and then within a year or two, everyone else started to catch up. I wouldn't have minded a couple more inches so now I just make up for it with heels.

[shmeep]

longlashes said:

OMG, Shmeep! That visual is just not coming to me at all - I'm trying, but I'm just not getting it!

Phew! The fact that you have met me and you can't picture what I described means I must have finally taken a turn for the better at some point. But I did have an awfully long awkward stage. The me I described? Um...I was twenty-seven years old at the time. But in my defense, the reason I had almost no hair was because I had cut off all eighteen inches of it to support a friend with cancer. I never thought that look would be pretty, but it was temporary. But combat boots and Star Trek shirt? No excuse for that. Just who I was at the time. I still have the boots in my closet and all eighteen Star Trek shirts in my drawers so I haven't really changed inside.

[kenina]

I have a hard time picturing shmeep that way, too, LL--but maybe an easier time than most because I've seen her looking like that on an actual videotape! Very amusing, and strange, knowing what she looks like and how she dresses now. I've spent quite a few hours in her company and never ONCE has she worn a Star Trek tee shirt. And I've never worn my Buffy tee shirt, either.

What were we talking about in this thread before shmeep's combat boots? Oh, yeah--height! I have to say, I'm questioning the results of this research. Maybe because I know *lots* of extremely smart short people! And also because there's a big difference between correlation and causation, and researchers often overlook that difference. As in, maybe as an entire group, short people are less intelligent than tall people...but are the short people less intelligent *because* they're short? I think that's a bigger leap in logic and a much harder connection to prove.

I also think the disparity in pay and other measures of professional success between short and tall is probably correlation rather than causation. Maybe it's due to the low self-esteem that some short people have. Both low self-esteem and social discrimination are better explanations, in my opinion, than lower intelligence--at least as a wide generalization. My sister is 4'11", and though she's brilliant, and an attorney, she's struggled professionally. Yes, she has low self-esteem, but I think other people's attitudes toward her also a factor. Anyway, lots of issues and history there--I'm just saying, I think their conclusion is dubious at best, especially here in industrialized nations, where height is surely less correlated with nutrition than in less developed nations.

[bump]

While, undoubtedly, research and statistics don't lie, I think a lot of it has to do with attitude, self-esteem, and and so on. In other words, things that can be affected by height. For example, people who have a complex with their height may have low self-esteem which, in turn, affects how they perceive themselves and their capabilities. I don't know if any research has been done from that angle. (Edit: just noticed that the article mentions this)

I'm 5'1" and the height thing quit being an issue in my teens. Why be bothered by something you can't change?

Professionally, I can't say that I've ever noticed being treated differently based on my height. While reading the article, it dawned on me that I'd never even considered the possibility that I could be at a disadvantage. Perhaps it's because I'm confident that I have the knowledge to do the job well and that's where I prove my worth. That's not meant to sound cocky, but sometimes it really boils down to that. I earn more than the majority of the people in my office and I'm the shortest one. ;D

I have several close friends who are my height who have very lucrative and successful careers. Giving this topic some thought, I realized that we have one thing in common: a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed. We went to college, got graduate degrees, work hard, and continuously look to move ahead. I've also met tall people who couldn't care less about moving ahead, so, at least in my experience, it goes both ways.

In my personal life, if it's ever affected what someone thought of me, I haven't noticed either. Besides, if it has or if it does, I can't change what I am (nor should anyone change who or what you are in order to please others).

Anyway, that's my .02 -- from this spot that's a little closer to the ground.

[kenina]

I think it's just generally good to avoid generalizations unless you have hard evidence that bears out the generalization. And I'm not convinced that this research does. On a related note, reading what Becky said about not changing to please others...my brother-in-law and his wife decided to put their toddler (he might've been three or four?) on growth hormones because he was quite small for his age. I don't know what kind of advice they got from their doctor or what the decision-making process was, so it's admittedly hard to judge. But my nephew, now age 8, will be on these hormone shots for years to come. And do we really know what the effects are or will be? All for what--a few extra inches of height? Maybe they think it will help him socially and professionally. But what does that say about our society?

[Deleted]

I agree wholeheartedly, Kenina. A "short" friend sent me the link and, from two different perspectives, we both thought it was so funny I had to share. As I mentioned earlier, back in school, being the "tall redhead" had some disadvantages. However, my height certainly did not lend to my achievements in prestigious law firms nor my fifteen year marriage - that was solely attained by my positive attitude and sense of self-worth and, of course, my bubbly personality!

But yes, we DO live in a judgmental world, don't we....

[Katryna]

I, like Lori, have been 5'8" since I was 13. I am a little older than Lori, so not sure if we ran into the same issues as children. I was always "big" for my age growing up and found that because of my size people expected me to act the age I "looked" to them. I was always a quiet, shy child and always being the tallest in my class set me apart and made me feel self-conscious. From the time I was in 6th grade I could only buy women's shoes and women's clothing. ANd at that time there was a huge difference! All of this made me feel out of place till I was in high school and people started to catch up with me! At that same time, I always did very well on the standardized testing they do in school and learned quite quickly. An example of some of the things I had to endure because of my height is that when I was in Junior High my parents decided it would be good to sign me up for something to help me develop my social skills. Oh, no - it was ballroom dancing. Needless to say, at this age there was a shortage of boys in the class. As I was the tallest girl there, I was ALWAYS assigned the responsibility of being a boy. Yeah, that helped loads!

kenina said:

On a related note, reading what Becky said about not changing to please others...my brother-in-law and his wife decided to put their toddler (he might've been three or four?) on growth hormones because he was quite small for his age. I don't know what kind of advice they got from their doctor or what the decision-making process was, so it's admittedly hard to judge. But my nephew, now age 8, will be on these hormone shots for years to come. And do we really know what the effects are or will be? All for what--a few extra inches of height? Maybe they think it will help him socially and professionally. But what does that say about our society?

This is interesting because when I was 12 or so I got sick and my family doctor was away. My mother took me to a Pediatrician. He took one look at how tall I was and suggested to my mother that she take me to a doctor in Boston who was removing sections of people's femurs in order to reduce their height. Can you imagine the horror I felt at this! Luckily my 5'6" mother is intelligent enough to say "No thank you" to that suggestion! So what does this say about society's opinions of that time?

I am happy to report that once in high school things became much better for me. I continued to do well scholastically and made National Honor Society. I was easily accepted to the college of my choice and eventually boys did ask me out! I agree with Bebe and Becky that being successful in your career depends on much more than how tall you are. Hard work, dedication, perseverance all play their hand. I have lots of "short" friends who are very successful.

Advantages of being tall:

• If I stand on tip toe I can look over my cubicle wall at the printer across the room to see if it is in use. Nothing more frustrating than sending a report over there only to find it gets buried in the hundreds of pages long Daily Reports
  
• I rarely have to use a step ladder or foot stool to get things down out of cabinets or shelves
  
• If I put on a couple of pounds, no one notices - more room for it to spread out
  
• I am of great service to short people in the supermarket - always being asked if I can reach something for them.
  

I am sure there are more, but I have to get ready for work, where there are two women even taller than myself. No they are not management, nor am I - by choice! We are all at a point in our lives where although we have all been management at some time, we are ready to have a less stressful existence! Smart, huh!

[Deleted]

Great post, Kathy! I can remember not lasting in the junior section, if at all, as a child. I was first to "develop" in every way possible - great.

And, while I may be 5'7", I STILL run through the city streets in my 3" heels - so it makes me 5'10", my husband is 6'2" - it's all good!