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Do Short Men Really Have It So Tough?
From the pain some are willing to go through…
Years ago, I watched a documentary about people in China who were getting surgery to make themselves taller. In Chinese society, people face job discrimination based on height.
One woman did not qualify for her teaching certificate because of her height. There was a minimum height requirement for both men and women to qualify.
Height affects how much people get paid in China, as well. It’s not hidden — in one case, two security guards who got their first paycheck noticed that the one who was slightly taller got more money for the exact same work.
In the United States, as this article in GQ makes clear, men in particular face pressure to be taller.
I’ve seen this with friends — fat women and short men routinely face discrimination at work and when it comes to dating.
We do read about fat shaming, body acceptance, and so on for women, and that is a good thing. It’s good to stop prejudice against women who don’t fit a particular body type.
However, what about men?
The emotional pain that many men experience because they are not tall is not something that is discussed. But it is real.
