All Height Matters: heightist privilege

[The Gold Standard]

Sorry, I'm not laughing at your pain.
But, I am.

You think that's funny? I have to remember to duck through every doorway I walk through at work (and most places come to think of it). The few times I forgot, well, cracking your head on the top of a door jamb isn't really a good time. Actually, I suppose it is funny. I would probably laugh. If it was someone else. Of course, I've never seen anyone else do it.

[heavenlyboy34]

I have to sit sideways at tables when I eat out. Only way I can put my legs under a table is if I lift it up with my knees. Seems like everything is made for shorter people. Everything.

And then there's the pain of riding in planes and many other forms of public transit. My knees are jammed into the seat in front of me or very close the whole time and it's hell getting in and out. KURWA! :/

I feel your pain. ~hugs~

[euphemia]

I have to sit sideways at tables when I eat out. Only way I can put my legs under a table is if I lift it up with my knees. Seems like everything is made for shorter people. Everything.

Poor thing. Maybe you should sit at the grown ups' table.

[Carlybee]

Poor thing. Maybe you should sit at the grown ups' table.

[heavenlyboy34]

Poor thing. Maybe you should sit at the grown ups' table.

LOL PWNED!!

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

She loves clothes from the kids department?

Loves clothes in general. I buy jerseys in kid sizes from MLB and NHL shops. Kids sizes much cheaper.

Any dress clothes though aren't from kids dept.

[FunkBuddha]

Tall people are far less eligible for a heart transplant than short people because they have to have a heart from another tall person whereas a short person can accept a heart from any size person bigger than they are. I should be offended.

Oh, and my wife leaves cabinet open that she can easily move under while I have to dodge them for fear of getting my head split open.

By the way, it looks like the author is black, too, which obviously means she has baller-privilege. The NBA should have a requirement that a team can only be allowed to have 2 tall black men on a team. The rest of the team should be made of average height men.

[helmuth_hubener]

But Napoleon!

The exceptions prove the rule.

[helmuth_hubener]

I have to sit sideways at tables when I eat out. Only way I can put my legs under a table is if I lift it up with my knees. Seems like everything is made for shorter people. Everything.

Try visiting Nepal sometime.

[juleswin]

How many of you whinny tall people would give up your very inconvenient height and $10000 for the privilege of being 5 ft 6 inches again?? any takers? I am yet to meet anyone who would take that offer. Btw, I met the tallest man in Nebraska once, he is 7ft 4 inches, looks mighty out of proportion and most likely has some medical issues due to his height and even him said he would not change anything about himself(being shorter). Btw, i know this because someone asked him

On the other hand, I know loads people who would pay $10000 to be 6ft 5 and above. This is how you truly know you have an advantageous feature.

[Dr.3D]

Try visiting Nepal sometime.

[Krugminator2]

That is because tall people are better leaders. Tall people are more intelligent, and tall people have more of the other qualities one wants in a business leader.

Unless anyone wants to take up a banner to argue on behalf of "market failure."

Hmm? Anyone?

As a 5'7" male, I'll take up the banner. Markets are irrational about a lot of things. I would not be surprised if someone did an empirical test of business leaders and showed a systematic mispricing of shorter people that could be exploited. In fact, it is almost a certainty. A black woman has a higher average income than a very short man. That can't be because of IQ differences. I think higher paying sales and management jobs skew toward tall people. Part of the reason Jack Welch is so memorable is because of height.

Executives and scouts in baseball for a century had all sorts of misconceptions about what made a good player. Until Billy Beane, GMs systematically mispriced players based on things like a "bad body". I played college golf and ended up in a good spot. But I think being shorter kicked me down a few notches in recruiting relative to how I looked on paper and I think some people I competed against were elevated because they had the right look.

I think people in business overvalue superficial things like height, looks and personality and undervalue principles and having a laser focus of a business. Rand Paul probably could not be President just on his height alone. Milton Friedman was 5'2". It is insane that a brilliant person, who was also a great salesman and communicator, could never President because of something as irrational as height.

All of that said, I doubt the mispricing is really a major mispricing. I think it is mostly responding to consumer preferences.

[The Gold Standard]

As a 5'7" male, I'll take up the banner. Markets are irrational about a lot of things. I would not be surprised if someone did an empirical test of business leaders and showed a systematic mispricing of shorter people that could be exploited. In fact, it is almost a certainty. A black woman has a higher average income than a very short man. That can't be because of IQ differences. I think higher paying sales and management jobs skew toward tall people. Part of the reason Jack Welch is so memorable is because of height.

Executives and scouts in baseball for a century had all sorts of misconceptions about what made a good player. Until Billy Beane, GMs systematically mispriced players based on things like a "bad body". I played college golf and ended up in a good spot. But I think being shorter kicked me down a few notches in recruiting relative to how I looked on paper and I think some people I competed against were elevated because they had the right look.

I think people in business overvalue superficial things like height, looks and personality and undervalue principles and having a laser focus of a business. Rand Paul probably could not be President just on his height alone. Milton Friedman was 5'2". It is insane that a brilliant person, who was also a great salesman and communicator, could never President because of something as irrational as height.

All of that said, I doubt the mispricing is really a major mispricing. I think it is mostly responding to consumer preferences.

I didn't read all of your post, but I'm sure I agree with some of it. Just don't make the mistake of playing his game and calling it a market failure. I don't know if taller people make more money on average. I don't know if taller people have higher IQs on average. Nor do I care. None of that has anything to do with the market. If an individual can offer what the market wants, they will be demanded, regardless of their height. Unless, of course, it is something like professional athletics where height is an actual commodity. Rand Paul's height had absolutely zero to do with his failure to become president.

[juleswin]

I didn't read all of your post, but I'm sure I agree with some of it. Just don't make the mistake of playing his game and calling it a market failure. I don't know if taller people make more money on average. I don't know if taller people have higher IQs on average. Nor do I care. None of that has anything to do with the market. If an individual can offer what the market wants, they will be demanded, regardless of their height. Unless, of course, it is something like professional athletics where height is an actual commodity. Rand Paul's height had absolutely zero to do with his failure to become president.

The presidency is so what of a popularity contest, one part look, one part policy and one part charisma/ lie-ability. Appearance is a big part of it, this is why a person like Dennis Kucinich could never be president.

[The Gold Standard]

The presidency is so what of a popularity contest, one part look, one part policy and one part charisma/ lie-ability. Appearance is a big part of it, this is why a person like Dennis Kucinich could never be president.

Trump looks like a clown. There is no one that could ever convince me that Rand Paul would be the president if he was 6' tall.

[juleswin]

Trump looks like a clown. There is no one that could ever convince me that Rand Paul would be the president if he was 6' tall.

Its the look, the stature of the man that I am talking about. Yea, Trump is not the most handsome man ever but he is also not unsightly ugly. Well, I said the same thing about Trump until he won the nomination and then the election.

Look at it this way, if Jimmy Carter can win the presidency so can Rand. Give Rand a few more inches and you increase his chances of winning it all.

[Carlybee]

Trump looks like a clown. There is no one that could ever convince me that Rand Paul would be the president if he was 6' tall.

[Krugminator2]

Trump looks like a clown. There is no one that could ever convince me that Rand Paul would be the president if he was 6' tall.

I think Trump's presence, and a part of that is height, is a big reason he is President. A 5'6" Trump would be thought of as Joe Pesci. As far as Rand, radical libertarians are not going to win, but neither is somone who is 5'7".

I don't think the income differences are a market failure. I see it as 80% responding to market preferences and 20% as market inefficiency to exploit.

[helmuth_hubener]

Just don't make the mistake of playing his game and calling it a market failure. I don't know if taller people make more money on average. I don't know if taller people have higher IQs on average. Nor do I care. None of that has anything to do with the market.

Playing my games is never a mistake!! It is only great and thought-provoking and enlightening and fun.

So, the amount of money people make has nothing to do with the market now? Hmm.

[The Gold Standard]

Playing my games is never a mistake!! It is only great and thought-provoking and enlightening and fun.

So, the amount of money people make has nothing to do with the market now? Hmm.

The amount of money a person of a certain height makes on average means absolutely nothing about the market for any given individual regardless of their height.

[helmuth_hubener]

The amount of money a person of a certain height makes on average means absolutely nothing about the market for any given individual regardless of their height.

The amount of money Group X makes in relation to Group Y in the market says quite a bit about how much the market values Group X vs. Group Y.

Yes, quite a fair bit.

As in,.... everything!

To be precise: everything! (Yes, too much Tin Tin)

Literally 100% of what the market has to say about it is encapsulated in these two data points.

See? Are we having fun yet?

[heavenlyboy34]

The amount of money Group X makes in relation to Group Y in the market says quite a bit about how much the market values Group X vs. Group Y.

Yes, quite a fair bit.

As in,.... everything!

To be precise: everything! (Yes, too much Tin Tin)

Literally 100% of what the market has to say about it is encapsulated in these two data points.

See? Are we having fun yet?

Winnar^^ Assuming the market actors aren't manipulated, the price people are willing to pay is the only non-arbitrary way there is to determine value.

[Danke]

Short Lives Matter!

[Krugminator2]

Winnar^^ Assuming the market actors aren't manipulated, the price people are willing to pay is the only non-arbitrary way there is to determine value.

If that were true, Warren Buffett wouldn't have a job.

[heavenlyboy34]

If that were true, Warren Buffett wouldn't have a job.

Da fuq are you talking about? Berkshire Hathaway?

[Hippony]

Being tall is $#@!ty, you're right that being tall is slavery I feel you bro.

[shakey1]

... yeah but the tall one's usually picked first for basketball.

[Hippony]

... yeah but the tall one's usually picked first for basketball.

Yeah, that's no. 1 but I don't play basketball or any sports that require height.