PEOPLE SKILLS: HEIGHT

Over millions of years of evolution humans have grown fundamentally upwards.

The average American man is 5'9 and the average American woman is 5'4. Any height greater than those averages is considered "tall." Being taller has many advantages.

For starters, tall people can reach really high things on top shelves or change light bulbs without using chairs, ladders, or other such apparatuses. A tall person's arms also come in handy when reaching things that have fallen behind couches or under automobiles.


In addition, during religious festivities, height capable people use their stretching ability to place very important paper mache stars on the top of indoor conifer saplings, known as Christmas trees.













They also use less steps to cross the same distances as shorter people.
More than that, the vertically gifted can see over people, which comes in handy at concerts, impromptu street performances, or when they want to know what's holding up a line.







Photographers also like tall students to stand in the back row of class pictures, allowing them to be seen without the smaller students having to crouch or kneel. Likely saving school systems tens, if not, hundreds of dollars in chair and bleacher costs.

In some circles, it is rumored that male humans of above average height have larger genitals. Although, this cannot be confirmed or denied, the theory assumes that people's extremities are proportional to their bodies. Oddly enough, height seems to have little to no effect on the size of female mammaries. This on the other hand, is well documented in the cases of the many tall and very flat chested super models who wander the runways of Paris, Milan, and New York.




One of the downsides to being tall appears to be finding appropriate clothing. The large surface area their bodies require more fabric to cover. As well as the inherited range of body types and masses. A phenomenon that lead to the advent of the Gilbert's Big and Tall clothing store.





Yet having height does have disadvantages. Airline seats can be too small, doorways pose serious threats for head injuries, and adolescence can be a particularly difficult and awkward stage of life.








Here are some other facts about tall people from grumpychimp.com

1. Tall People Earn More

A 2004 study revealed that every inch adds about $789 per year in earnings.

2. They Are Smarter

Princeton economists published a 2006 study identifying why tall people make more money. The conclusion, they're smarter than you.

"As early as age 3 -- before schooling has had a chance to play a role -- and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests,"

"As adults, taller individuals are more likely to select into higher-paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome rewards."

They also state that nutrition can play a role in both height and intelligence. Therefore, better nourished babies end up taller and smarter.

3. Tall People are More Attractive

A study at the University of Gdansk in northern Poland concluded that the ideal height of an attractive woman was 5'9 and 6'2 for a man.

4. Tall People are Leaders

Only a handful of presidents have been shorter than average. In fact, the last time it happened was in 1896 with William McKinley who stood 5 feet 7 inches tall. The tallest presidents have been Abraham Lincoln at 6'4, Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton, Thomas Jefferson, and Franklin Roosevelt. The average CEO of fortune 500 companies is just a smidge under 6'.

5. They are Better Athletes

The average NBA player is about 6'7, NFL is over 6'1, MLB is over 6'1, NHL is 6'1 and tennis about 6'1.

6. Women Prefer Tall Men

A recent study shows that taller men are less likely to be bachelors and are more likely to have children. In fact, men with children are 1.2 inches taller than childless men. The reason behind this? Women view tall men as healthier and more likely to protect and provide.