Short Man Syndrome

[jammies]

Originally Posted by J pold

I’m tall (6’5) and I would say that a 1/3 of the time I go out to the bar, or a place where alcohol is involved I am indirectly, and occasionally directly challenged to a fight by a shorter – normally much shorter – dude. Many of my friends are also very tall and we all share this experience. It know that’s anecdotal but take it for what you will.

Go to a better class of bar.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Regorium

As a shorter than average 5'8" male, the amount of times I just get shoved by a taller dude at a bar is so ridiculously common. Average (like up to 6') dudes usually are more aware of themselves and make the effort to get around each other. Of course, I don't fight so I just let it happen.

Average height in Canada and US for white males is 5'-10".

Also the study isn't just talking about height.

The men who considered themselves less masculine than average and who experienced male discrepancy stress were nearly three times more likely to have committed violent assaults with a weapon or assaults resulting in injury to the victim than those who didn't worry about it.

Less masculine could be almost anything.

[Puppet Guy]

Exhibit A:

[Hugh Jahrmes]

I wear a size 7 3/4 fitted hat.

I could be a star

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by jammies

Go to a better class of bar.

Name one place classier than the Rusty Cage

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Raekwon

Name one place classier than the Rusty Cage

Aussie Rules... cause pianos.

[The Yen Man]

I think if you're a jerk, you're a jerk. It doesn't really matter what height you are.

[J pold]

Originally Posted by jammies

Go to a better class of bar.

Oddly enough I find it's the more upscale bars where it happens the most. My guess is the guy in a suit already has such a big ego that a tall guys presence infringes upon it.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Wasn't Napoleon also considered average height for his time?

I believe he was 5'8 and he was a major reason for the metric system so they didn't have all these weird measurements.

5'10 190lbs here

[Locke]

Originally Posted by J pold

I’m tall (6’5) and I would say that a 1/3 of the time I go out to the bar, or a place where alcohol is involved I am indirectly, and occasionally directly challenged to a fight by a shorter – normally much shorter – dude. Many of my friends are also very tall and we all share this experience. It know that’s anecdotal but take it for what you will.

Well yeah...because most people are shorter than you. Literally.

These are probably just average people challenging you to a fight, they're not necessarily short, they're just shorter than you.

You freaking giant!

[blankall]

Originally Posted by J pold

I’m tall (6’5) and I would say that a 1/3 of the time I go out to the bar, or a place where alcohol is involved I am indirectly, and occasionally directly challenged to a fight by a shorter – normally much shorter – dude. Many of my friends are also very tall and we all share this experience. It know that’s anecdotal but take it for what you will.

There's an element of truth to this. I have 3 friends who've all been full on assaulted at bars (by groups of 3+) people. All three are 6'3''+ and broad shouldered. One was hit with a bottle and one was pepper sprayed.

That being said I know a lot of smaller guys who've been picked on too. They are usually the small, yet good looking guys who get attention from women. The smaller guys were all given the chance to back down. Where the larger guys were sucker punched out of nowhere.

There's definitely a contingent of losers who go to bars and will try to assault anyone they see as more successful or threatening to them. This would fit the "social outcast" model in the OP's article. I don't think it's a secret that people who are successful are less likely to engage in violent crime...they're too busy getting laid.

[peter12]

J_pold is definitely way too tall, but you honestly couldn't meet a nicer guy. Kind of weird that guys would want to fight you.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by peter12

J_pold is definitely way too tall, but you honestly couldn't meet a nicer guy. Kind of weird that guys would want to fight you.

I've met him. But I'm a short guy (relative to him) and I dont really do a lot of fighting.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by blankall

That being said I know a lot of smaller guys who've been picked on too. They are usually the small, yet good looking guys who get attention from women. The smaller guys were all given the chance to back down. Where the larger guys were sucker punched out of nowhere.

I'm 5'8" and got "bumped" by a 6'3" or so dude at a bar in England last year. He turned around and started getting in my face so I just laughed at him and started mocking him for picking a fight with a guy half his size, which got his buddies to start giving him the gears too.

[Huntingwhale]

I'm 5'7 and considered short. Height was never an issue for me growing up and isn't something I'm concerned with anymore. There are bigger (pun intended) things in life to worry about rather then my genetic make up. It seems to be others around me who comment on it, but I just roll with it and find it hilarious to pick on myself when it comes to short jokes.

As for short man syndrome, I think it has much more to do with short guys tired of being picked on and they are just sticking up for themselves. I have a buddy who ribs me all the time about my height and when I inevitably say something back to him, he starts calling me out on SMS. But really the way I see it is that I have 2 choices: I can sit there and take it and look like a ##### in front of everyone. Or, I can get in his face and stick up for myself. Sadly if you're a short guy, sticking up for yourself suddenly means you have SMS.

And as for being at bars/clubs and having tall guys push their way in front of you. Yeah that part sucks. But being short has it's perks. People don't notice you as much. I get away with a lot more things then tall people could. It's also much easier to navigate through crowds which I find being the best perk of all. I can dart in and out of areas ful of people while most tall guys are stuck.

Do women like short guys? Well in this day and age it seems many don't. But if that becomes an issue for them, then really that tells you all you need to know about their personality. It's no different then guys not wanting to be with fat chicks.

However having said all this, I agree with J Pold in that the guys who start fights at clubs/bars are almost always short guys. I know to pick my spots because I'm no scrapper. But almost every bar fight I have personally witnessed is some short jacked up roid monkey/gangster wannabe starting it. And it's almost always that they fight in groups.

Short guys by themselves are pretty humble. But put us in a group together, and we turn into savages!

[heep223]

Jesus what kind of bars do you guys go to? I've been to lots of bars. In many places. And never even come close to being in a fight. Seen a few, but it's pretty rare or so I thought.

[GGG]

I think the bumping past people is because we don't see you. I'm tallish 6'3, and I accidently run into people all the time because I am looking above people to get where I'm going. I really need to watch where I'm going better but people think I'm insulting them when I say oh I didn't see you there.

Tall people earn more than short people for both genders so there is definately discrimination against short people

[J pold]

Originally Posted by peter12

J_pold is definitely way too tall, but you honestly couldn't meet a nicer guy. Kind of weird that guys would want to fight you.

Thanks pal! Yeah I don't get it, I guess after reading this thread I am bragging past people without even knowing it? Anyway I don't ever engage. I'm not a fighter at all.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by jammies

Go to a better class of bar.

I can relate to J Pold. I've had smaller guys challenge me to fights a lot, and I don't hang around seedy bars. That being said I've never obliged them in fighting it's just a common experience where people want to start fights, often they are smaller.

Everyone I know thinks I'm incredibly unlikely to fight or be violent but still there are a lot of man children that do want to fight.

[jammies]

I dunno, I'm pretty tall *and* handsome and I never get challenged at any bar, even though I'm trampling and pushing the lesser humans out of the way. Do you guys have punchable faces? Maybe it's "punchable face syndrome" and nothing to do with short guys.