Being Tall
The Most Surprising Thing I Learned Today – Freakonomics – Opinion – New York Times Blog
It is well documented that tall people tend to hold high-status jobs and earn high wages. There are many possible explanations for this: height is a useful job attribute for some reason; other people mistakenly think tall people are more intelligent than they really are; being tall in high school gives you the confidence to succeed in the work force; etc.
Mmmm.. maybe.
If you’re male.
Or, if you’re female, maybe if you were born less than about 30 years ago.
I’m tall. Well, I was tall. Girls are taller now than they were when I was young, so my height isn’t quite as remarkable now as it was when I was younger. Still, I’m pretty commonly the tallest woman in a room.
It doesn’t bother me anymore, but when I was younger I really hated being tall. (I’m 5 feet 9 1/2 inches tall and have been since I was about 12 or 13 years old.) I was teased a lot and I felt like a freak. I was taller than most of the boys. Although I was quite slim, I still felt too large. I felt unattractive because of that. It was NOT a real confidence-booster.
I guess I’m not surprised that males who are tall in high school grow up with more confidence, but — at least for women of my generation — being a tall female in high school wasn’t so great.
Whatever. The main point Levitt’s making in this article is that, on average, taller people tend to be more intelligent. I haven’t read the study he cites, but one simple explanation occurs to me. People who are taller tend to be people who are better nourished. (I’m not talking about individuals here. I mean a person’s parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on.) When you’re better nourished, your brain works better. If your brain works better, you tend to make more money, thus increasing the likelihood that your own offspring will also be well-nourished, with good brains, and tall.
Makes sense, no?
Posted by RebeccaHartong on August 29, 2007 under Uncategorized
The short answer is no.
Why no?
Oh…wait. I get it. Joke.
(Duh me.)
Yes. nourishment matters but, consider genetics. I’m a 5′ 81/2″ porcelain skinned blue eye blonde of northern german and scottish heritage. I’ve been labeled and demeaned for my height and coloring for years by horizontally challenged swarthy people. I look at the countries the majority of short people are from and see the contributions those countries have made to society and it is clear. The countries that produce tall people are superior in almost all areas, whether it be the arts, science or human rights. Short people are often afflicted with compensatory displacement. How can you feel good about being short when your always looked down upon?
Heh, heh… I’m glad you’re the one who wrote that and not me!
I know what you mean, though. I, too, am blonde-haired, blue eyed, and very fair skinned. For me, it’s German and Swedish ancestry.
In hi school I was 5’9″. I slouched thru the halls with shoulders stooped, head bent & books clutched in front of my skinny chest. Yes, I was smart, but so were a lot of short people.
My youngest daughter is 6′. She stand tall, walks proudly & looks great in a wet T shirt. She is also smart.
More important than brains — attitude. Between my generation & hers we had the Women’s movement. Give feminists a cheer for making the world safe for proud, tall women!