Short Man Syndrome MIGHT Be Real

Short man syndrome, or Napoleon Complex, is the thought that shorter men are overly-aggressive and overcompensate for their height. A few theories have debunked this theory, however there might actually be some pros and cons to being short. Trace and his little buddy Anthony go through and list out some of the positive and negative trends that affect short men.

Read More:
Short Man Syndrome Really Does Exist, Oxford University Finds
"Feeling smaller makes people feel paranoid, mistrustful and more likely to think that people are staring or talking about them, a study by Oxford University finds."
Virtually lowering a person's height 'heightens' feelings of mistrust
"A study funded by the Medical Research Council shows that, in those who are prone to having 'mistrustful thoughts', experiencing a social situation from a lower height can make people feel more inferior and excessively mistrustful."

Virtual reality study of paranoid thinking in the general population
"Judging whether we can trust other people is central to social interaction, despite being error-prone."

Short Men 'Not More Aggressive'
"A theory that short men end up as more aggressive than taller ones has been dismissed by a scientific study."

Workplace Rewards Tall People With Money, Respect, UF Study Shows
"Short people may be short-changed when it comes to salary, status and respect, according to a University of Florida study that found tall people earn considerably more money throughout their lives."

Tall Men Earn More Than Shorter Colleagues, Research Claims
"Taller men earn more money than their shorter counterparts because they are seen as more intelligent and powerful, a study found."

The Effect of Adolescent Experience on Labor Market Outcomes: The Case of Height
"Taller workers receive a wage premium. Net of differences in family background, the disparity is similar in magnitude to the race and gender gaps."

Stature and Status: Height, Ability, and Labor Market Outcomes
"It has long been recognized that taller adults hold jobs of higher status and, on average, earn more than other workers."

Tall People Earn More Because They're Smarter
"In the late 1970s, Randy Newman scored a hit with a song containing the lyric, 'Short people got no reason to live.'"

Why Women Want Tall Men
"There's just something appealing about tall men. Napoleon aside, tall men are more likely to win the popular contest in presidential votes and to be re-elected once in office (Stulp, 2013)."

Height Associated With Longevity
"A study of Sardinians finds that shorter men live longer."

Is Height Related To Longevity?
"Over the last 100 years, studies have provided mixed results on the mortality and health of tall and short people."

The Short List: 5 Advantages To Being Diminutive
"You've probably heard it all your life: Being short is a disadvantage."

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[michael-gruw]

Honestly, if you took the personality of a tall guy and you put it into a short guy, people would say that the short guy was compensating even though it's the same exact personality. It's more to do with perceptions. Society doesn't allow short men to be confident and assertive without punishment. It must be because they are compensating.

[Shrimpkin]

I'm 5'4" a yes, I've always found it a disadvantage. Especially when your at school and 96% are taller. You get bullied a hell of a lot more.

[utkarshpriy]

sure, taller dude gets angry, he must be going through some issue.
Shorter guy gets angry.. oh he is trying to overcompensate for height.
Slow claps.

[mikhaelis]

Lol, height has never been an indicator of intelligence.

[grouchypete]

Cute, Even the commentary here, deliberately mocks shorter people.  And I love the word "overcompensate, " as though being short equals inferiority.  But I'd hate to get worked up about it, lest my Napoleon complex come out.  If only I was tall, then it could be considered just being angry, or a jerk, or an "alpha."

[ShawnRavenfire]

It could be that taller children can see the blackboard more easily.

[ecrradio]

Tall people: Why are short people always angry? >:(

Also tall people: *Pats head* aww you're so cute when you're angry! :D

[Kaindayo]

5' 8''. Male I'm short. I'm also quick to aggression but that study should have added the fact that most short kids get the short end of the stick in everything from sports to girls. We get picked on and left out a lot. Ultimately resulting in a change of behavior due to past experiences growing up. We adapt to our surroundings, and learn defense mechanisms early in childhood that often drag on into our adult hood. Tall people rarely get picked on, in fact most of the time they are feared. So They always have high self esteem and when it comes to the work place self esteem is key to getting a promotion. Tall people are not smarter then us. They just have an easier life.

[javierperalta]

Of course I'm pissed all the time because people treat me as a child for being short. Who wouldn't?

[summerleggo]

Most of us are angrier or you could say more assertive because we have to be. How else will we get what we deserve? If we try to be polite our politeness is mistaken for weakness.

[MrAndrd]

Napoleon was taller than the average French man during his time period. Will people just do their research!

[RobertSmith-mrzh]

I am only 5"3" tall and I am now retired. So I have been short for a very long time. Yes, short men do tend to be a little bit touchy. This is for good reason. As a tall person, when was the last time you had someone reach over your head to get a sugar packet at the coffee machine? Start talking over your head when you are in the middle of a conversation? Reach around you to get some food at the buffet? Ignore you to speak to your wife/girlfriend first then you, when you see them do the opposite with tall men? You see, it is not how short men perceive themselves it is how tall men perceive them that creates the attitude problems. We are basically treated as children trying to enter a conversation instead of another adult. It is human nature to ignore children/young teens when talking to other adults and this behavior carries over to social/business interactions perpetuated against short men. So, yes, we do have a bit of extra attitude in order to assert ourselves into the world of the Big and Tall.

[fbahhady]

I'm 5'4 and I only discovered recently that heightism is real. It's a type of discrimination that people do unconsciously most of the time. That made me depressed but not angry. What's the point of being angry and who at? Society? I just live my life not thinking too much about it.

[aswin]

Im 5'2 and i admit that i have got the so called "short man syndrome". But i never had any insecurities when i was a kid.. I was happy confident and full of life. I am a good looking guy, im doing good in my classes, and i am slim. Now my so called friends could find nothing wrong with me to tease me and then they started with my height..ridiculing me every time. Naturally this affected my confidence.. I became more shy.. Felt uncomfortable among others and became an introvert. The real question is " is it my fault that i feel insecure about myself "or " is it because of the society i live in". And im not referring to just the height alone.. Im reaching out to all the oppressed...Should i change or should the world..#stop judging

[SuperBlobsterMan]

5'6'' here. Women do dismiss shorter guys. But that is ok with me. I made it through my 20's unscathed by divorce and not financially burdened kids. I gave up on dating about five years ago. I focus on my hobbies and my career. I am an electrician. I am far more focused on my job than my coworkers. After finishing my apprenticeship I have quickly moved up the ranks. I am running jobs now and want to move up the ranks even further. My focus is my health, money, saving, and investments. I will be retiring overseas the first minute I can afford it, somewhere where women appreciate a man like me and don't dismiss me because I am short. Then I will decide if I would like children. Since I don't have women to deal with I can outwork all my coworkers, put in extra time, and blow past them easily. If I had been 6'' taller, I am pretty sure I would have been married and burdened with children now. I think being short saved me in a lot of ways.

[alphacause]

As a short male (5'6"), I can definitely attest to the fact that taller men have advantages in life, especially when it comes to mate selection. This is why I scoff at females who express such anger at men judging them on their weight and overall figure. Attributes, like weight, can change with a sensible dietary strategy and ones figure can greatly be reshaped by a vigorous resistance training regiment. So a woman can control and change the very things that guys look at - weight and overall figure. Furthermore, women's clothing can compensate for other short (excuse the pun) comings in a woman's figure (i.e. miracle/pushup bras, padded panties, etc.) However, ones height is determined  by genetics. So essentially a man can do nothing if he is short, and so if a woman that he is interested in has an affinity for tall men, he is out of luck. So men are far more fair in their superficiality than women. So next time when you hear people say that females are the "fairer sex", make sure that you beg to differ.   

[ayo__ayo]

That virtual study seems like utter crap. Its taking someone who was tall their whole life and shrinking them down, which is a situation they never had to deal with. That's probably why they were paranoid. 

[PJsFirstChannel]

I'm 5'7 and I yell at the ceiling. Thinks it's better than me.

[Shortguycentral]

The interesting thing about "Short Man Syndrome" is that it blames short men for behaving in certain ways (all stereotypes) due to the way society treats them. You would be considered a bigot though for telling other groups who are stereotyped (i.e. Black Women, Asian Men, etc) that they had a "Syndrome" to explain their behavior. Could imagine the firestorm that would ensue if you told a black female cashier that she had "Angry Black Woman Syndrome"?

It's worth googling the article "Why Napoleon and Bin Laden Complexes Don't Exist".

[AnonYmous-mnvq]

Been the shortest kid in my class since I started, yet still towards the top of my class. The only thing that being small has taught is that a lot of people are hung up on how tall you are and not your qualities. This world cares a lot about looks for men and women.