# Are we breeding for height? (Or: Ladies, do you like tall men?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 15, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128 "2000-04-15T20:26:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![purrplebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@purrplebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purrplebear)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2000, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/21 "2000-04-15T23:41:00Z")
Very interesting question spoke-. I had to really think about it for a bit. Well, I’m 5’7" in my bare feet, and my hubby is 5’9". It works for me. Now, that being said, I do tend to like/am attracted to if you will taller guys. Say up to 6’ or so. But, for me, height is just not that important. Especially compared to all of the other factors that matter more to me. If there were two of my hubby, identical in every way except height, I might go for the taller one, hard to say. There is such a thing as _too_ tall IMO. Over 6’3" say, would be more of a turnoff to me(hard to fit together, have to keep looking up to him,hard on the neck, lots of things). I also no longer wear high heels(medical reason), so that may have something to do with it. The bottom line for me is that their inner personality is far more important to me than any exterior physical _stuff_. Some of my dearest friends are tall and slim, like pipefitter; some are average size and height like my friend Tom; some are tall and a little overweight like Vestal Blue; and there’s my hubby, a little bit overweight, average height. I can’t say that the height of any of them would make any difference to me one way or another. Sorry if this doesn’t answer you very well, spoke-. * * * You are more than a human being, you are a human becoming. Og Mandino That’s my name, not a description. I am neither purple nor a bear. Okay, so I’m purple.\ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/22 "2000-04-16T00:52:00Z")
So you’re not intimidated by me, eh, mangeorge? Hmmm. This calls for the leather and the Catherine wheel, I think. 😃 You’re right about the horizontal fit, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f04885/32.png) [@Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghost)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/23 "2000-04-16T01:00:00Z")
I’m 5’7 and I’ve never had a problem with height from the ladies, but then again I’m pretty damn good looking, and good in the sack… guess I’m the excetption to the rule ---
**Author:** ![iceprincess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e495f1/32.png) [@iceprincess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iceprincess)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/24 "2000-04-16T01:19:00Z")
Personally I think that women do gravitate to taller men than shorter. All other things being equal of course. But there is such a thing as too tall. On some guys it’s okay, but if they get too tall it’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![lovelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@lovelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelee)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/25 "2000-04-16T01:48:00Z")
My dad told my tall brother (6’4") that he had to date a girl that was taller than I was (5’6") to get to drive the Mercedes on the date. Otherwise, he got to drive the Honda. I wasn’t in the house at the time, but I hope he was joking. =) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/26 "2000-04-16T04:06:00Z")
Jezebel; Leather only makes me aggressive, but the catherine wheel? Sorry, I’m not very hungry. 😕 [http://www.producersfigs.com/wheels.html](http://www.producersfigs.com/wheels.html) 😃 Peace, mangeorge (obviously has **no** clue) ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/27 "2000-04-16T04:25:00Z")
Well being fairly tall myself (6’1 in bare feet) I would go for the taller guy. But then I’d just like a guy around my height (within a couple inches or so) because it would be weird having to look down at him all the time. * * * Never run from anything immortal, it attracts their attention. ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/28 "2000-04-16T04:35:00Z")
I’m just shy of 5’9", and as long as he’s taller than me, I’m happy. It has nothing to do with wanting to be submissive (trust me, that word has NEVER been attributed to me,) but as a heterosexual woman, the fairy tale is that you gaze up into his eyes while he whispers sweet nothings. That, and I feel like I’m back in junior high when I’m with a man signifigantly shorter than I am. * * * A little persistance goes a long way. Announcing: “I go on guilt trips a couple of time a year. Mom books them for me.” A custom made Wally .sig! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/29 "2000-04-16T05:29:00Z")
All I know is, I’m 181.5 cm (just under six feet, for my fellow Americans), and women sure don’t flock to me. * * * “There are only two things that are infinite: The Universe, and human stupidity-- and I’m not sure about the Universe” –A. Einstein ---
**Author:** ![MadPoet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@MadPoet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPoet)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/30 "2000-04-16T12:04:00Z")
As far as udging myself goes, I don’t worry… I figure that whatever I lack in height, I make up for in length. * * * [http://www.madpoet.com](http://www.madpoet.com) I am human, and I need to be loved Just like anybody else does ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/31 "2000-04-16T14:14:00Z")
Um… I don’t think I can link to the sites where you’d find a Catherine wheel, mangeorge. That’d get me tossed for sure. So, instead, go to this online [dictionary](http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm) and look it up. The first definition is the applicable one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/32 "2000-04-16T15:56:00Z")
I think the launching point of the Height Breeding Consortium is located in my house. My family tree has a lot of tall people. It has focused all of it’s power on me. I am 6’9. My wife’s family is pretty tall, which has resulted in her being 6’1. We expect our future kids to be about 12’ tall at this rate. She likes tall guys, I have never dated anyone under 6’. We just happen to view height as a big turn on. * * * Coming soon to a sig line near you! Relive the mundane highs, the flaming lows, and the pointless posts in between. Announcing the debut of the best of Mullinator. Because it’s not just a sig, it’s an adventure. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/33 "2000-04-16T16:20:00Z")
**MadPoet** wrote: > [@](#): > > So taller guys tend to feel superior to shorter, and shorter tend to defer to the taller. Hence the prevalence in taller CEOs. (I’ve never worked for one under 6 ft, has anyone?) Yeah, my first boss was really short (maybe 5’5") and I am pretty tall (6’4"). He was a decent guy in many ways, but he did have a bit of the old “short man’s syndrome” (hyper-aggressive, somewhat domineering). Caveat, though: He started the firm himself, so he didn’t have to rise through the ranks. I’ve gotta quit hijacking my own thread. Back to the survey. Ladies? ---
**Author:** ![Sentinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sentinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sentinel)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/34 "2000-04-16T16:21:00Z")
I read somewhere once that natural selection in breeding leans towards taller men and shorter women. The article went on to speculate that it was probably because of our primitive subconscious in that men like smaller women who need protecting and women tend to like taller men who can be protectors. In the animal kingdom, the female is usually somewhat smaller. I like smaller women because they, to me anyhow, are compact, so huggable, and when I hug them or they me, seem to ‘fit’ just right. Smaller women seem to bring out my ‘protective’ instincts more than with taller women. I’m 6 feet tall and have noticed that I tend to look at a girl of equal height – no matter how pretty, as less ‘needy’ – in that she doesn’t need my support or ‘protection’ that much. I’ve known some short, really cool men who expressed that they had some trouble dating because most short women were the same size or taller than they and did not seem interested in starting a real long lasting relationship. The guys weren’t ‘little people’ either. Like, I like Beverly D’Angelo, Cyndi Lauper, Julia-Louise Dreyfus, Fazula Baulk – all under 5’8" tall. In most C&W bars I used to hit, you’d see these BIG cowboys with these tiny, compact women. * * * **CAREFUL! We don’t want to learn from this!** (Calvin and Hobbs) ---
**Author:** ![pro\_nobis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3be4f8/32.png) [@pro\_nobis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pro_nobis)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/35 "2000-04-17T05:05:00Z")
There’s definitely height discrimination when it comes to women looking at men. I know that most women would not even consider dating a guy who is shorter than they are, and most shorter women prefer men who is a good deal taller. Hmmm, they could really be missing out on a good guy just cause they don’t give him the chance…all based on height. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/36 "2000-04-16T18:10:00Z")
I believe that this is one of the ways that women most often lie to themselves and to others. As much as they say that height is not important, it is. It’s not clear how much of this is conscious and how much is unconscious, but women certainly do take height in account. (And before someone says something, yes, men lie to themselves and to other people in just as many ways.) All of the comments so far have been on the line of “Well, I’m 5’6” and my husband is 5’8", and I chose him over someone who was 6’6"." Come on, let’s look at some serious differences in height, not these cases where the man is your height or only slightly taller. Would you consider dating me? I’m a touch under 4’11". Virtually every women I’ve ever been interested in has made it clear (and without even having to say it) that there’s no chance they would ever date me. Often they don’t even pick up on the idea that I might be interested in them. To them, I’m a joke, not a potential date, and the idea of my dating them doesn’t even cross their mind. The rare cases where I thought I was getting somewhere with a woman were cases where the woman was thinking, “Would I consider dating this guy? Nah, I’m not that desperate.” Now, let’s restart the discussion, and be honest about your feelings. ---
**Author:** ![lindsay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@lindsay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsay)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/37 "2000-04-16T19:46:00Z")
Of course I’d choose a taller man, anytime. Most desirable height - 6’4". * * * lindsay ---
**Author:** ![Elthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@Elthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elthia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2000, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/38 "2000-04-16T22:38:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by spoke-: > \*\ ***Jodih** - > > Let me clarify. Imagine two versions of your own S.O. One is average height, say 5’10" (if that _is_ average). The other is 6’4". Which would you choose? (Does this help clarify?)\*\* The shorter one. I’m five feet one and a half though, so it’s as much because of logistics as anything. _grin_ -Elthia ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/39 "2000-04-17T07:57:00Z")
I wouldn’t pass over a shorter guy just because of his height. Most of the guys I have (or had) crushes on were usually a bit shorter then me. They were good friends too. I’d just like one that is close to my height. I don’t want a good foot difference just because it would be weird… plus I like to lean my head on a guys shoulder if hes significantly shorter then me I’m gonna have a major crick in my neck. * * * Never run from anything immortal, it attracts their attention. _Brought to you by the Amazon woman of Canada._ ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2000, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128/40 "2000-04-17T08:55:00Z")
I was once very attracted to a guy two inches taller than myself (I’m 5’1"). I ultimately chose Mr. Rilch over him, but my attraction was partly (there were many other factors) based on the fact that I spend my life looking up at people; I could look him in the eye. * * * “Hush, village idiot!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-breeding-for-height-or-ladies-do-you-like-tall-men/16128.md?page=3)