Pros and cons about being tall or short

[Laura]

I'm 5'7". One disadvantage: choice of women are smaller to choose.

If you're like me and prefer short girls anyway, that isn't a big problem.
[/quote]

I used to joke with a former roommate (who was 6'2") that I was doing her a favor by dating someone who was also short, leaving the  tall guys for the tall girls!

I'm 5'5.5", aka 165 cm. Mike is 5'7". It's a major pro being with someone who is almost the same height as me. Oddly enough, he has a longer torso and I have longer legs.

When I was in undergrad, I dated a guy who was 5'3". I didn't mind that he was slightly shorter. My sister-in-law is two inches taller than my brother.


The only con that comes to mind is when someone tall is standing in front of me at a concert and I can't see past them. I don't have a problem with pant inseams. I have clothing fitting issues in other areas (like my chest, which is disproportionally large, and my waist, which is also disproportionately large compared to my hips and the thickness of my legs)

[sammi]

I'm 5′4½″ (165 cm), and even if people say I'm around average height for a girl, I still feel kinda tall. But after looking at that table, it makes more sense. Average female height in Canada is 5′4″, which is why people say I'm the "perfect height", But average female height in the Philippines is 4′11″, which is where I should be (average male height is 5′3½″). I don't know how exactly my genetics works, because I'm taller than both my parents (5′2~3″) and my dad's side is a weird mix of tall and short.

[Zeffy]

I'm 6'0" on the mark, or maybe even 5'11¾". More interesting is that I'm 130 lbs at age 20, which for my height is underweight. Note that I was 120 lbs from age 17-19 and the 10 lbs gain is an actual shocker to me. My diet is one of the most unhealthy things about me, and believe me, with it should I easily be 240 lbs. My metabolism is crazy.

I also have a pretty high vertical jump, standing is about 2'7".

[bugo]

*You get a good view at a concert.

*Short guys are incredibly jealous of you.

Nah, we just get frustrated when you stand right in front of us, blocking our view of things - either oblivious or deliberately.

It's not like we say "there's a short guy, I'm going to block his view."  It just happens.  When I'm at a show, I stand wherever I feel comfortable.  I don't intentionally block anybody's view.  If we went out of the way to not block anybody's view we'd be standing in the very back.

Plus we don't like it when you tall people act all superior and bully short people for being short.

I don't bully anybody for any reason.  My best friend is 5'6".  I harbor no ill will to short guys.  Quit flattering yourself.

Short people are not jealous of tall people

I've found that to be untrue in many circumstances.  Not all short guys are jealous of guys with height, but many of them are.

- they find (many, not all) tall people uncourteous at best and boorish thugs

This is the first time I've ever been called a "thug".

I doubt you have short legs - short legs for your height, maybe...

I wear 32" long pants, which are what average sized guys wear.

[KEK Inc.]

I tower at a whopping 5'8" (173 cm).  It's damning since I like tall girls, but C'est La Vie.   Doesn't stop me. 

I'm half Filipino, but I'm actually an inch taller than my Caucasian dad. 


Regarding weight, I was fat in high school.  I weighed roughly 150 lbs (which for my height is pretty heavy considering I didn't work out), but got it down to 120 lbs and then back up to 135 lbs in non-fat.  The fact that I walk and bike most places now as well as pay for my own food made me lose weight pretty fast.  Also, my University has a free gym membership, so I do work out a little now.

[signalman]

I ended up at an average height for a guy; 5'9".  I rocketed up to this height young though.  By the time I was 12 I was this tall.  In class pictures in grades 5, 6, and 7 I was always placed in the back row so I didn't tower over my classmates.  Little did I know at the ripe old age of 12 I was done growing (up, anyway).  In high school most of my male classmates caught up to me, and several passed me in height though. 

My torso and arms are a normal length for my height.  My legs, however, are a bit short.  As a result, I usually have to pull the driver's seat pretty far forward in order to reach the pedals.  I've had several friends ask me, "Dude, how do you drive like this?"  The seat is so far forward that the steering wheel isn't too far from my stomach.  Perhaps it isn't very safe if I were to be involved in a rear end collision since the steering wheel would probably become imbedded in me.  But it is what it is, I can't change it. 

Pants shopping becomes interesting too.  I generally don't have a hard time finding my size, but it is a little on the odd side...36 inch waist, 30 inch instem.  I usually wear jeans, so that size isn't unheard of.  Purchasing dress pants can become a challenge though.  Fortunately, I don't have to shop for dress pants all that often though, since I work a blue collar job.  So, wearing jeans to work is fine.

[jeffandnicole]

Pants shopping becomes interesting too.  I generally don't have a hard time finding my size, but it is a little on the odd side...36 inch waist, 30 inch instem.  I usually wear jeans, so that size isn't unheard of.

Yeah, that's what I wear too.  I would like to get back down to 34" waist, but my car has a tendency to pull into parking lots of fast food restaurants all by itself. 

My wife is a few inches shorter than me, but she has longer legs. As a result, we both have the same exact driving positions, which is real nice.

[formulanone]

...but my car has a tendency to pull into parking lots of fast food restaurants all by itself.

You should have that looked into; could be the loose fry-rod ends or the steering rack is leaking burger grease.

[Brandon]

I ended up at an average height for a guy; 5'9".  I rocketed up to this height young though.  By the time I was 12 I was this tall.  In class pictures in grades 5, 6, and 7 I was always placed in the back row so I didn't tower over my classmates.  Little did I know at the ripe old age of 12 I was done growing (up, anyway).  In high school most of my male classmates caught up to me, and several passed me in height though. 

My torso and arms are a normal length for my height.  My legs, however, are a bit short.  As a result, I usually have to pull the driver's seat pretty far forward in order to reach the pedals.  I've had several friends ask me, "Dude, how do you drive like this?"  The seat is so far forward that the steering wheel isn't too far from my stomach.  Perhaps it isn't very safe if I were to be involved in a rear end collision since the steering wheel would probably become imbedded in me.  But it is what it is, I can't change it. 

Pants shopping becomes interesting too.  I generally don't have a hard time finding my size, but it is a little on the odd side...36 inch waist, 30 inch instem.  I usually wear jeans, so that size isn't unheard of.  Purchasing dress pants can become a challenge though.  Fortunately, I don't have to shop for dress pants all that often though, since I work a blue collar job.  So, wearing jeans to work is fine.

I never seem to have a problem shopping for pants, even though I'm 36" waist with a 29" inseam (or 30" depending on the cut).  Yet I stand 6'0" tall.  Shirts can be a pain in the ass though.  I regularly need XLT (large and medium will never make it over the shoulders) just for the torso length.

I have a list of cars that I like to drive and a list of cars I hate to drive due to the torso length.  Most Toyotas suck as they tend to be way too short, for example.  I also have a strong dislike for the Ford Ranger for the same reason.  One should not have his head touching the ceiling of the vehicle.

Office chairs also tend to be a point of contention.  Many are far too short to support my shoulders comfortably.  It's not fun having a chair hit you mid-back without supporting the shoulders.  Then there's airline seats.  Legroom is fine, I even fit nicely in the seat itself.  However, the shoulder area could be a few inches wider.  I solve the problem by getting a window seat when I fly just for the extra room to slide over into.

[jeffandnicole]

...but my car has a tendency to pull into parking lots of fast food restaurants all by itself.

You should have that looked into; could be the loose fry-rod ends or the steering rack is leaking burger grease.

I did, but all they claim is "Operator-error". 

[hbelkins]

I'm 6'0" I'm ugly as homemade sin and overweight, but there are only two of my physical attributes that I wish were different.

One of them is that I wish I was taller.

[kurumi]

I'm 6'0" I'm ugly as homemade sin and overweight, but there are only two of my physical attributes that I wish were different.

One of them is that I wish I was taller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryDOy3AosBw&feature=kp

I'm 6' 4", no good at hoops, can't put on a lot of muscle mass (but can put on a lot of flab if I don't watch what I eat -- there are some pics from my past that I'd like to delete all copies of). Happily married a long time, but it seems nonetheless that looks matter more than ever. People do treat you differently. That's why I'm at the gym and avoiding those scary carbs

[agentsteel53]

I'm 6'0" I'm ugly as homemade sin and overweight, but there are only two of my physical attributes that I wish were different.

One of them is that I wish I was taller.

and the other is ... you want more nipples?  fewer nipples? 

[Zeffy]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, that in 7th grade I was probably 4"7' (short as fuck) while weighing around 70 lbs. I shot up in the 8th and 9th grades, and then slowly grew until the end of my senior year in high school. Oh, and no matter what I try, building any sort of muscle mass is impossible, so I'm pretty weak too (not that I honestly care). That's reason #17 why you won't see me in any branch of the military for as long as live.

[Pete from Boston]

I'm 6'0" I'm ugly as homemade sin and overweight, but there are only two of my physical attributes that I wish were different.

One of them is that I wish I was taller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryDOy3AosBw&feature=kp

I'm 6' 4", no good at hoops, can't put on a lot of muscle mass (but can put on a lot of flab if I don't watch what I eat -- there are some pics from my past that I'd like to delete all copies of). Happily married a long time, but it seems nonetheless that looks matter more than ever. People do treat you differently. That's why I'm at the gym and avoiding those scary carbs

There was a point in my aging, and I don't know when it was, when those carbs started making me swell up like a marshmallow man.  Fortunately I stay very active and keep relatively steady weight, but if I cut out the starches I suddenly drop like 10 pounds without thinking about it.  Too bad they're so damn good. 

[Mr. Matté]

Short con: No reason to live per Randy Newman.

[Brandon]

Short con: No reason to live per Randy Newman.

[J N Winkler]

I'm 6' 4", no good at hoops, can't put on a lot of muscle mass (but can put on a lot of flab if I don't watch what I eat -- there are some pics from my past that I'd like to delete all copies of). Happily married a long time, but it seems nonetheless that looks matter more than ever. People do treat you differently. That's why I'm at the gym and avoiding those scary carbs

There was a point in my aging, and I don't know when it was, when those carbs started making me swell up like a marshmallow man.  Fortunately I stay very active and keep relatively steady weight, but if I cut out the starches I suddenly drop like 10 pounds without thinking about it.  Too bad they're so damn good.

If you trade out butter for olive oil (cutting out saturated fats improves HDL cholesterol), and cut out the salt (DASH standard of 60% sodium RDA maximum reduces blood pressure and thus risk of stroke), then all of a sudden the lean foods start looking quite attractive in comparison to the starches.

Oh, and no matter what I try, building any sort of muscle mass is impossible, so I'm pretty weak too (not that I honestly care).

Muscle mass isn't everything--strength has as much to do with nerves and blood flow as it does with muscle fiber.  This is how I am able to go to the gym and slowly increase core tonnage while my weight stays essentially flat (145 lb when I graduated from high school; 154 lb maximum over the past 20 years; currently about 151 lb).

I never even considered playing a sport when I was in high school--I was all about taking AP courses and trying to ace the exams (one exam in tenth grade; two in eleventh; about six in twelfth; about one-third of the credit hours contributing to my undergraduate degrees were test-outs).  But then I reached graduate school and realized I wanted to improve upper-body strength, since my legs were quite overdeveloped in comparison to my arms and shoulders after several years of cycle commuting, and I wanted to be able to schlep a rucksack through airports and railway stations without feeling overtaxed.  So, with the help of an experienced gym buddy, I picked up some basic moves and made modest strength gains.  That exercise program tapered off when I lost my gym buddy (life changes on his end), but I started up again several years ago when I stopped cycling and realized I needed to do something in order to maintain strength.

[D-Dey65]

Cons:

*You easily hit your head on ceiling fans and light sockets and door jambs and other such things.

I know of a sign on NY 112 that I often used to hit my head on when I walked under it.

*It's hard to get into and out of some cars, and there are many cars a tall guy simply can't ride in certain cars, especially the back seat.

I'm only 5'11 1/2" myself and I've had that problem with the front seats of a lot of cars. I knew somebody with a Nissan Versa and I tried the driver's seat. I couldn't fit in the damn thing, and yes, I put the seat back and adjusted the mirrors and steering wheel. I don't see how anybody over 5'6" could possibly drive that car, and yet some people are able to. One car reporter for the Tampa Bay Times is 6'1" and he says he doesn't have any problems with it. 

And it's not just car seats. Try fitting in the coach section of an Amtrak train going up and down the Atlantic Coast, and having to sleep in the thing! Seriously, long distance travel on Amtrak makes more sense with a sleeper car, but if you can't afford it, prepare for an uncomfortable night.


Having said all that, I still wish I were taller.

[Brandon]

*It's hard to get into and out of some cars, and there are many cars a tall guy simply can't ride in certain cars, especially the back seat.

I'm only 5'11 1/2" myself and I've had that problem with the front seats of a lot of cars. I knew somebody with a Nissan Versa and I tried the driver's seat. I couldn't fit in the damn thing, and yes, I put the seat back and adjusted the mirrors and steering wheel. I don't see how anybody over 5'6" could possibly drive that car, and yet some people are able to. One car reporter for the Tampa Bay Times is 6'1" and he says he doesn't have any problems with it. 

Keep being confused.  I'm 6'0" and long waisted, and I have no problems driving a Versa.  I have a friend with one, and I've driven her car many times.  I don't even push the seat all the way back.  Shoot, I have the seat closer to the wheel than she does, and she's 5'11".

[bugo]

Strangely enough, in every car I've ever driven except for one, I have had to push the seat all the way back.  The one car I didn't have to?  A Geo Metro which was more comfortable with the seat one notch forward.  I wouldn't believe it either.

[KEK Inc.]

I'm 6' 4", no good at hoops, can't put on a lot of muscle mass (but can put on a lot of flab if I don't watch what I eat -- there are some pics from my past that I'd like to delete all copies of). Happily married a long time, but it seems nonetheless that looks matter more than ever. People do treat you differently. That's why I'm at the gym and avoiding those scary carbs

There was a point in my aging, and I don't know when it was, when those carbs started making me swell up like a marshmallow man.  Fortunately I stay very active and keep relatively steady weight, but if I cut out the starches I suddenly drop like 10 pounds without thinking about it.  Too bad they're so damn good.

If you trade out butter for olive oil (cutting out saturated fats improves HDL cholesterol), and cut out the salt (DASH standard of 60% sodium RDA maximum reduces blood pressure and thus risk of stroke), then all of a sudden the lean foods start looking quite attractive in comparison to the starches.

Oh, and no matter what I try, building any sort of muscle mass is impossible, so I'm pretty weak too (not that I honestly care).

Muscle mass isn't everything--strength has as much to do with nerves and blood flow as it does with muscle fiber.  This is how I am able to go to the gym and slowly increase core tonnage while my weight stays essentially flat (145 lb when I graduated from high school; 154 lb maximum over the past 20 years; currently about 151 lb).

I never even considered playing a sport when I was in high school--I was all about taking AP courses and trying to ace the exams (one exam in tenth grade; two in eleventh; about six in twelfth; about one-third of the credit hours contributing to my undergraduate degrees were test-outs).  But then I reached graduate school and realized I wanted to improve upper-body strength, since my legs were quite overdeveloped in comparison to my arms and shoulders after several years of cycle commuting, and I wanted to be able to schlep a rucksack through airports and railway stations without feeling overtaxed.  So, with the help of an experienced gym buddy, I picked up some basic moves and made modest strength gains.  That exercise program tapered off when I lost my gym buddy (life changes on his end), but I started up again several years ago when I stopped cycling and realized I needed to do something in order to maintain strength.

Yeah, cycle commuting made me legs look ripped compared to my arms.  I need to start doing some basic workouts. 

[Duke87]

I'm somewhere between 5'11" and 6'0". Which I'm closer to depends on the time of day and other randomness. I usually just say I'm six feet tall since it's a nice round number and it sounds cooler than saying 5'11".

What's interesting is that I am taller than both of my parents... and taller by an inch or two than most of the other men in my family. So they all act like I'm the big guy even though I'm only at about the 70th percentile for men my age.

[amroad17]

I'm 6'4", my wife is 5'2".  She helps pick up things off the floor and bottom shelves for me and I get things off upper shelves and the top of the refrigerator for her.

Seriously, I'm satisfied with my height, although, when I was younger, I wished I was three inches taller.  I was fairly good at basketball, but I played like a forward and not a guard.  There aren't many 6'4" forwards in the NBA.  And yes, I could dunk the basketball (even when I was 6'1").  My wife wishes she was a few inches taller (like 5'7"), however, it was not meant to be.

I seem to have less problems at finding clothes that fit than my wife does.  She needs petite pant sizes because of her short legs.

We have a king-size bed, not only for me, but also so we have "sleeping space".

Pros and cons?  We just accept whatever comes our way.

[bugo]

Both of my parents are 5'9".  My uncle is the only person in my family taller than me, and he's shrunk to where I'm now taller than him.