Journalism Blog: On Being Tall
Did you know that only a dozen US Presidents were below the current average height of 5'9", while there have been 18 presidents over 6 feet tall? Male Fortune 500 CEOs average about 6 feet tall, three inches over the national average. Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the most famed and honored first ladies, was 6 feet tall, while Maria Sharapova and Julia Child both chalked up a 6'2".
While being tall isn't a garuantee of success, any more that being short is an indicator of failure, there seem to be a lot of the altitudinally gifted in the history books.
Studies have also shown that taller people, on average, seem to have a higher intelligence, and that tall men are consistently ranked more sexually attractive by women in surveys.
It seems likely that nutrition and health play a large part in both the development of intelligence and height, so people are not simply more intelligent because they're taller, they're taller and more intelligent because they had healthier childhoods.
Health, or the perception of health, probably plays a role in the sex appeal game as well. In the primitive world, a tall man was most likely healthy with healthy genes, if he was tall and thin, he may have been a good runner, if he was tall and bulky, he may have been very strong, both useful traits in mankind's early days.
So, do those primitive triggers play any role in the success rate of tall men? Another theory is that bigger children are less likely to be the targets of bullies, therefore they face fewer challenges to their self-esteem (although my personal experience contradicts this, I was a big, clumsy kid, and often made fun of for it). Of course, exceptionally big kids are more likely to become bullies too.
Tall women aren't quite as lucky in love, it seems, since women of above average height seem to marry and bear children later, and men in studies seem to rank women who are taller than they are as less attractive. Interestingly enough, many top models are exceptionally tall and thin, but it's likely that their appeal is based more on how they appear on film more than in person. Shorter women may be considered more attractive because they make men feel taller themselves and thus more "manly".
But being tall comes with disadvantages for either sex. In a world designed for people 5'10 and under, compact cars, bus seats and theaters become a challenge. Clothing manufacturers charge more for tall sizes, if they're even available. Big and tall menswear and larger shoe sizes for either gender come in limited selection and often don't include the most trendy options.
However, being even a bit taller than average (say, 6'3" or so) gives one a unique view of the world. One of those images that will always stick in my mind will be walking through New York City in the rain, and seeing nothing around me but the tops of umbrellas. It was a whole different world.
While being tall isn't a garuantee of success, any more that being short is an indicator of failure, there seem to be a lot of the altitudinally gifted in the history books.
Studies have also shown that taller people, on average, seem to have a higher intelligence, and that tall men are consistently ranked more sexually attractive by women in surveys.
It seems likely that nutrition and health play a large part in both the development of intelligence and height, so people are not simply more intelligent because they're taller, they're taller and more intelligent because they had healthier childhoods.
Health, or the perception of health, probably plays a role in the sex appeal game as well. In the primitive world, a tall man was most likely healthy with healthy genes, if he was tall and thin, he may have been a good runner, if he was tall and bulky, he may have been very strong, both useful traits in mankind's early days.
So, do those primitive triggers play any role in the success rate of tall men? Another theory is that bigger children are less likely to be the targets of bullies, therefore they face fewer challenges to their self-esteem (although my personal experience contradicts this, I was a big, clumsy kid, and often made fun of for it). Of course, exceptionally big kids are more likely to become bullies too.
Tall women aren't quite as lucky in love, it seems, since women of above average height seem to marry and bear children later, and men in studies seem to rank women who are taller than they are as less attractive. Interestingly enough, many top models are exceptionally tall and thin, but it's likely that their appeal is based more on how they appear on film more than in person. Shorter women may be considered more attractive because they make men feel taller themselves and thus more "manly".
But being tall comes with disadvantages for either sex. In a world designed for people 5'10 and under, compact cars, bus seats and theaters become a challenge. Clothing manufacturers charge more for tall sizes, if they're even available. Big and tall menswear and larger shoe sizes for either gender come in limited selection and often don't include the most trendy options.
However, being even a bit taller than average (say, 6'3" or so) gives one a unique view of the world. One of those images that will always stick in my mind will be walking through New York City in the rain, and seeing nothing around me but the tops of umbrellas. It was a whole different world.