Do Americans care about height? Do people lie about their height?

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domestic_omnom@reddit

Height in dating is basically a meme at this point.

Yes some women are attracted to tall guys. Im 5'7 and never had an issue with it.

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I prefer guys that aren't that tall. I'm 5'4" so I am mostly looking up. I did date a guy shorter than me and that did bother me a little but someone 6'2" I got tired straining my neck. It's still not the important stuff.

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Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit

It seems to be an issue but I don't understand why.

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Ritterbruder2@reddit

I get the impression that Americans are more likely to exaggerate their height by 2-3 cm more so than people in other countries.

Keep in mind that we use feet and inches to represent height. One inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters. A lot of people will round up to the nearest inch, which can result in a noticeable exaggeration of one’s height.

Also, there’s the “six foot mark”, equal to 183cm. Just the mere existence of this milestone which is purely caused by English units of measure creates a goal that men often strive to meet.

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rawbface@reddit

I sure don't. It's not something I control so it's not worth caring about.

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Schehezerade@reddit

Some do, some don't.

I honestly only really notice height when it's at an extreme on either end.

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NOLA-VeeRAD@reddit

Plus, the lie will be unraveled the moment you are seen in person, so is not a good long term plan.

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NamidaM6@reddit

If you lie by 1 inch to make yourself 6 foot, it will go unnoticed honestly.

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dr_stre@reddit

Not if the person you’re lying to is 6ft tall.

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NamidaM6@reddit

Shhh, their soles are just thicker than mine dw.

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Steamsagoodham@reddit

1-2 inches seems to be about the sweet spot of what you can easily get away with fudging. Assuming you measured yourself the correct way with your shoes off, you might actually be close to that height with shoes on anyway.

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ForestOranges@reddit

I’m a man in America who’s just slightly taller than the average female. I live a pretty normal life overall but I have way less options for dating compared to most of my taller friends. Girls are sometimes ruder to me compared to my taller friends when we get rejected.

The other weekend I was at a bar, I looked over at two cute girls, looked over at them and thought “it’s not worth trying to talk to them.” I end up walking away to go look for my friends and then out of nowhere I feel a shove. The two girls decided to just come push me for having the audacity to look at them.

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Lopsided-Public8205@reddit

I never believed this until I did a lot of traveling with a tall coworker. Holy shit, everywhere we went women where all smiles and hello to him. Stopping to talk to him randomly. One lady told him she was going to go sit at the airport bar and wait for something interesting to happen. When he didn't follow her to the bar, she came BACK and tried again. It was like stepping into an alternate reality. After a while, it got old and I just kept walking when I saw it about to happen.

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Helplessadvice@reddit

Let me put it this way. Most of our fortunate 500 CEO’s are about 6’0.

Taller people make more money on average

Taller people are more likely to be promoted.

We haven’t had a “short or average” president in probably 30-40 years

And that’s not even touching on dating prospects. Height is one of the most important things to have in America and it’s insane that some people pretend otherwise

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ForestOranges@reddit

Tall people just don’t think about this stuff. My best friend is about 7-8 inches taller than me and he doesn’t really know what to say when I bring up these statistics. He has an extremely strong work ethic and gets promoted at all of his jobs, he deserves it. But I also tell him that he “looks the part.” I predicted when we were around 14 that he’d be in charge of other people.

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quitealargeorangecat@reddit

This only really applies to men. Women get discriminated against for being tall.

I’ve had multiple people (mostly men) claim that I’m a trans woman (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and then call me slurs accordingly. I’m like 5’10”.

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Zygoatscythe@reddit

Right. There's definitely a lot of discrimination against short men, that's the reality.

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Present_State_2870@reddit

You mean average men, the average in the US is 5’9

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Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit

Wow! I just checked. Jimmy Carter and Dwight Eisenhower were both 5'10", our "shorter" presidents. The others in modern times were all 6 ft and over. Never felt Barack or G.W. were tall.

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astralTacenda@reddit

my friends and i talk about our heights often but its because there is a CRAZY range. shortest: fully grown adult man, under 5'. he isnt even the only one at 5' or under. im still on the short end at 5'4". and then... we have the other end. two people over 6'. the tallest is a woman, at roughly 6'2". then a man, 6' even. then another woman at 5'10".

we're all originally online friends but the rest of them have met up and they were all absolutely stunned upon meeting our tallest friend irl. several of them had never met a woman taller than them, and it was a religious experience apparently lolol. and the height difference between tallest and shortest is absolutely comical. shortest friend was lifted and carried around (with consent!!!!) by all the talls.

none of us care that much or have rejected anyone romantically based on height. some have preferences for shorter or taller or similar height to themselves, but none of us have ever cared that much. it's mostly a source of silliness.

some people out there care way too fucking much about it and get weird and potentially rude. but my personal experience with people is that its a casual conversation starter if there is a height difference and may be a source for some jokes or teasing, but only if the person is cool with it.

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TheHopefulUnicorn33@reddit

I had a boyfriend that would lie to me about his height. It was obvious to me that he was not that tall, and I didn't really care about his height --- but I know the difference between 5"9' and 5"11'. I don't know how very tall women handle this issue, but as a very short woman I never lied about my height. I think it would seem obvious to others. On the flip side, I had a female roommate who would lie about her weight on dating profiles and use pictures that were significantly altered. It struck me as dishonest. She got really angry when a date called her on it and said he was really disappointed because she didn't look like her picture.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

Nobody cares as much about height as short dudes with zero self-confidence do.

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ForestOranges@reddit

You just have less options as a short man and get treated differently. Obviously some girls don’t care but a lot do.

I studied abroad in college in a country where people are really short. Even in that country I was still an inch shorter than the average male, but I noticed I got way more attention from girls living in a country where I was near average height.

It’s not often, but girls in the USA can get really nasty if you’re short. Just recently two girls thought it would be funny to push me and laugh about it. A sorority girl in college drunkenly blurted out a rude/hurtful comment about my height when I hit on her. She didn’t mean it and tried to apologize/walk it back, but just not issues my friends who are all at least average height or above don’t deal with.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

I'm going to bet height was a contributing factor, but not the only onr.

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Professional-Pungo@reddit

I mean I'm a short guy and well aware of my height.

I've met plenty of tall dudes that are clearly lying about their height

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ForestOranges@reddit

I’m a guy and I wish I was even 5’7”, the shit people say/do to me is really rude sometimes. Just the other weekend two girls shoved me for having the audacity to look their way :/

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WhatABeautifulMess@reddit

On the flip side no one ever tells me their height for no reason except people 6’ or taller.

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TheBimpo@reddit

Coming in a close second are women who have a terrible set of expectations for romantic partners.

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bunbun8@reddit

No, these women would be number 1. The bawking short dudes are obviously a reaction to them.

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Meattyloaf@reddit

Yes and no. There is documented discrimination against shorter guys in the workplace. If youre not above average height you are at a disadvantage in the job market especially higher management positions. Professional Sports are almost unobtainable regardless of talent if youre shorter barring some exceptions. Now do I let any of this bother me or affect me? No, I can be pretty confident, almost to the point of being cock, and it seems to balance the field more.

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GarciaWolf@reddit

They buy big trucks to compensate

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cherry_monkey@reddit

That's not true! I can't afford a big truck yet!

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Zygoatscythe@reddit

The reality is that many do. Labor discrimination against short men is well documented, and I've seen and heard lots of demoralizing remarks against short men..

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MelodyMaster5656@reddit

As a 6’3” dude, I have looked down upon many people claiming to be taller.

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CyanShadow42@reddit

Based on the motorcycle subs where beginners are asking what bike to start on, I'd say lying about their height is something many people do. I think I've seen more posters claiming to be over 6'6" than there can be on planet earth who are that height, speak English, use reddit, and want to start riding a motorcycle. Two theories: one, they want the crowd to approve of their desired starter bike that is far more powerful than most would recommend and think that engine size and bike size are more correlated than they actually are, and two, some seem to think every reddit post they make is part of their dating profile.

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HairyDadBear@reddit

Some people care and some people lie about it for some reason.

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No-Lunch4249@reddit

It's something dumb/shallow people use to gatekeep their online dating. Its common to see women say they won't date a man who is under 6 feet tall.

This leads men to often misrepresent their height online especially if theyre within an inch or two of 6 feet, why not round up?

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quitealargeorangecat@reddit

Even the president lies about his height. It’s very common.

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Youcants1tw1thus@reddit

I understand having general preferences, like most men will prefer a lady with a fit aesthetic, but I feel like the height thing is some weird recent infatuation in dating. I’m 5’10”, and listening to my single lady friends talk about their dating prospects would have me feeling like I’m completely inadequate.

I find it funny too, to see all these single women hard lining the “must be over 6’ tall” requirement while complaining about how there’s no good men they can find. I guess it’s nice that the shallow ones effectively take themselves out of the dating pool for all these average and shorter dudes.

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Prechrchet@reddit

Yeah, I wonder how many of them realize that only 15% of men in the US are at least six feet tall.

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Youcants1tw1thus@reddit

And of that 15%, how many are single? Of those, how many are checking the rest of the “decent man” boxes?

I have no skin in the game but it seems like a silly way to stack the game against yourself as a single woman looking to meet a man.

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Prechrchet@reddit

Just a guess, but I would imagine that the 15% number drops as you look at men that are older. After all, with 6ft + tall men being in high demand, I would guess that they would get married sooner than average.

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Quirky-Invite7664@reddit

I’ve noticed the same. A woman who is grossly overweight and out of shape, working a minimum wage job, will say she won’t settle for a man who isn’t super fit and making good money. They don’t seem to see the irony.

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DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit

Yeah, I think it's an online thing. In real life, you can't lie. I"m 6'4" and you'll know that when you meet me.

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DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit

tall people dont lie about it because they have no need to. A lot of guys that are 5 10 will say they are 6 foot

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PhotographParking574@reddit

Height is honestly dumb to me. Also modern dating standards are so skewed by social media. Suddenly women want someone who is 6 feet tall or above, makes 6 figures, and has a six-pack. That is actually a small amount of the male population.

No wonder more men are opting to play video games at home with their bros than go on dates.

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ccosby@reddit

Yea this.

When I was younger I had a few women mention they thought I was 6 foot or a little taller because I was as tall as their boyfriends or taller. I'm 5 10. Came up with ones that would say they would only date someone over 6 foot and ask why I thought it was stupid as I was.

I don't get it. I've dated women that were under 5 feet tall to slightly over 6 feet tall. Never really cared but dating someone close to your height saves your back. The women that was like a foot shorter than me really wore on my back leaning over for her.

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Quirky-Invite7664@reddit

I’m surprised so many women want to date a man who is significantly taller than them. I would think they would want someone of a compatible height (which was how I felt, when I was single).

I guess social norms have changed. Why do you think they are seeking out tall men?

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CaswensCorner@reddit

They still want to be shorter than them while wearing heels. I prefer about a three inch difference. I dated a guy exactly my height once and I couldn’t tell you exactly why but i could not get past it. I just want to feel like he could still pick me up and toss me around now and then

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Quirky-Invite7664@reddit

I understand that, but don’t understand wanting a guy who is, say, 1-2 ft taller.

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Professional-Pungo@reddit

Cause those types I would think want someone that others will also think is hot.

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Antioch666@reddit

Yes, the 6"/180cm minimum for men is the stereotypical baseline in the US like in most of the west.

Ofc not everyone cares but overall I'd say it is common enough to be a known preference. And with that, yes some lie about it on dating profiles thinking if they at least meet me she will overlook my height.

The irony is the avarage male height in the US is 5'9/175cm. Even caucasian men with a higher chance of Scandinavian or Dutch ancestry (which are generally tall) the avarage is 5 feet and 9.8 inches or 177.4cm... 😅

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cmiller4642@reddit

Honestly it's the one thing I'm glad I'm not is a short male. It's a good way to lose a lot of respect points just walking into a room.

I'm like 6'0/6'1 and I have 0 issue because I'm taller than every woman I come across and taller than/the same height as a lot of guys

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NecessaryPopular1@reddit

I don’t lie about my height, I sometimes wear tennis shoes quite comfortably, and don’t care what people think.

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29MS29@reddit

I’m 6’2”. I have a friend who is 6’1”. We have another friend who “is” 5’10”. My other friend and I can stand next to him and make eye contact. He will argue with anyone who points out he is not 5’10”.

I have never met a single American man who is 5’10”. I have met tons who claim to be.

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cathemeralcrone@reddit

Seems to me that all the men who say they're 5'10" are really about 5'7". I once stood next to Obama in a receiving line. I'm 5'3". There's no WAY Obama really is 5'10". Maybe in lifts.

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musaXmachina@reddit

Just depends. Some guys are insecure about it some women are obnoxious about it.

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Bluemonogi@reddit

It can be important to some people but others don’t care much.

I have never lied about my height, weight or age. Some people do.

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Meattyloaf@reddit

I work in a place where twice a year I have to ask people their height. I had a guy that was 2" shorter than me tell me he was 5'11". I'm 5'8". I've had women who were taller than me tell me they were 5'4". Either they are lying or they are way over/underestimating their height.

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Friendly_Side3258@reddit

A guy not too long ago told me he was 5’8 and I was wearing platforms when I met him and both my girlfriend and I were TOWERING over him🤣 we’re both around 5’5 without shoes and I saw my other friend who’s 5’9 and I was about eye level with him in my tall shoes so that man 100% lied about his height lmao. Which is just so silly to me because obviously I’ll know the truth when I meet you in person! Dating wise I’d want someone a just a wee bit taller!

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LordVesperion@reddit

The US is the most heightist place in the world in my opinion.

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NativePA@reddit

It’s a determining factor in a lot of pro sports. To be a successful NFL QB you need to be at least 6’ OL probably 6’3”. Same for NBA there’s a height floor that only can’t be overcome by talent.

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Dio_Yuji@reddit

Many women do. They want a guy who’s 6 feet tall, even though that’s only like 15% of men in the US

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401jamin@reddit

Dude in what context? Dating? Employment? Friendship? What dude?

I can only speak for myself. I’m 6’2” and doing good.

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jolly-green-1233@reddit

Men seem to lie the most. For example, my husband says he is 6'3. He is not because I am taller than him by a smidge and am definitely not 6'3. His friend says he is 6' but is 5'10 at best.

Athletes in sports where height matters also lie. Look at any football, basketball, or volleyball media guide for an American college and subtract an inch or two (or more). This may explain my husband and his friend (both former college athletes), but the amount of men who have argued with me about their height indicates American men seem to have a height issue. I didn't have these conversations abroad, but it may have been a language barrier.

For women, maybe they lie to seem more petite, but I don't have personal experience with that. Many are hung up on the height of men they date.

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Steamsagoodham@reddit

Yes many men care about their height and it’s common for people to say they are an inch or two taller than they actually are, especially on things like dating apps. Not every guy does it, but it’s pretty common.

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Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit

Yeah I think women are much more aware of their height because of being measured at the Dr's more frequently.

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Acceptable_Tea3608@reddit

I don't mind a man close to my height. I think 5'6" might be the shortest I'd go. A very long time ago I had a massive crush on a guy who might have been 5'3", and it went nowhere. Years later I had a date with someone possibly 5'2" and I didn't like that. That's when I realized very short men were not for me. So I'd say 5'6" to abt 10" is where I range.

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TipsyBaker_@reddit

I've had a lot of guys lie to me about it, which is stupid because it's not like ican't figure out they're lying to me just by looking at them.

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Vachic09@reddit

Some do care about height more than others. Some if not most women prefer men who are taller than them, for example.

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SilverB33@reddit

Idk I feel like this has been a more modern issue with the younger folk, and I have seen so many people online at least lie about being 6ft+, I'm guessing it can be for certain people. Personally me (39 M) have been pretty comfortable about my height at 5'9'' and it has never been an issue for me when it came to dating.

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Youcants1tw1thus@reddit

I just said something similar in another comment, it’s definitely a recent thing. Like it went from being a preference (we all have a preferences, it’s normal) to a hard line requirement used to cull the herd.

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CrazyNCynical@reddit

I have found men lie more frequently than women relating to the topic of height. Men tend to add at least two inches onto their true height. I may experience this even more frequently as I'm a relatively tall (5'9") female.

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OrthodoxAnarchoMom@reddit

There are evolutionary reasons why women select for tall men. Some cultures are more aware of this than others.

There is discrimination against short people in higher level careers. There are also short people who use their height as an excuse: When I was doing work study there was a short secretary who was going around complaining she couldn’t get a good job because of her height. No, it was because her degree was in nothing in particular. Was her height going to prevent her from being CEO? Probably yes. Could she have done something better than secretary? Absolutely.

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cherry_monkey@reddit

I'm 6'4" why would I lie about my height.

No I will not prove it

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Both_Painter_9186@reddit

I think most people do globally to both. It’s pretty common for a man who's close to 6 feet to just lie that they're 6 feet tall. A lot of men might add an inch or two to their height. I’m 5’11” and my wife appreciated when we first started dating that I just said “five eleven” honestly when she first asked me how tall I was.

With men- most women by and far like taller men. People can pretend all they want but it’s a natural dominance thing. I don’t even mean that in a fully sexual way either. I think subconsciously men respect other men that are taller than them more than those that are shorter. I’m sure theirs studies on this, but I’d bet taller men overall do better socially and economically. It probably goes back to some evolutionary thing where bigger = threat, so fear or respect that.

It’s a little different for women. A taller woman might be fetishized sexually, but its more inconvenient for a woman to be taller. Finding clothes and all, and it could intimidate some men. Most men don’t care if a woman is short unless they're like… dwarfism level short.

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YerbaPanda@reddit

We have a dear friend who is 6 feet tall and quite negatively self conscious about her height. So on her first application for a driver’s license, she filled in her height as 5’ 12”. The DMV entered it into the system that way, and it’s appeared on her card that way ever since.

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LongOrganization7838@reddit

Some do some dont it usually correlates to a person's self esteem and self image, obviously some people have a preference when dating but I haven't met very many people who will have it as a deal breaker

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Theycallmesupa@reddit

Im (m42) 5'10" or 5'11" depending on if im wearing shoes. My nice boots put me right at the cusp of 6'.

I have mostly only been asked my height by government/medical forms, and women. The random dude has asked here or there, but its usually in context with whatever is being worked on/discussed at the time.

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jeff1074@reddit

It’s easily one of the most important traits in the US. You can’t date without being tall, you will have a a noticeably harder time getting a job. You will have less respect. Get served less at bars. And just in general be seen as less human to tall men.

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hail_to_the_beef@reddit

It strikes me as a weird straight people problem. As a gay man, I’d say men who are 5’6” and under or 6’2” and over have a certain appeal. Like, lemme climb you like a beanstalk or put you in my pocket.

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Maybeitsmeraving@reddit

In my experience, nearly every man in America who is under 5'11" is lying about his height. But mostly they're not doing it consciously. My best fried in high-school was 5'7"ish. He was sure he was 5'10". He'd subconsciously stop one stair above me on a staircase or drift to the high ground on uneven turf. He had no idea he was doing it.

When I was online dating, I found in general 5'11" meant 5'9"- 5'11", 5'10" meant 5'7"-5-9", and so on. I don't care about height, so it didn't bother me, except when men claimed to be 5'8" or shorter, they'd often be about 5'5" and MAD that I was taller than them in my shoes. Men with height related self-confidence issues were absolutely exhausting, no amount of my own comfort or reassurance would make them comfortable, and then when they drove me away with their behavior they'd say it was about their height and obviously I'd been lying the whole time.

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DaCrowHunter@reddit

I really don't care. The reason I don't give a consistent answer is because I've never gotten one.

One day I'm 5'10 and the next I've either gained or lost an inch.

I've had back to back doctors appointments and then an Army height and weight test. No one can make up their mind on how tall I am.

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pinniped90@reddit

Yes

I think it's funny how all of Major League Baseball just got on inch or two shorter than what the media guides said. They now have accurate measurements for the automated balls and strikes system.

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supervisoragent@reddit

My friend said her boyfriend is 6’ 4” and was bragging about it. When I met him we’re the same height. I’m 6’ 1”

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TheOfficialKramer@reddit

Nobody cares and you can only lie about it to blind people.

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General-LeeAnxious@reddit

almost everyone’s an inch to two inches shorter than they say they are. Don’t ask me why, I don’t fuckin understand it. Pride maybe? But they act like we don’t have eyes and the ability of comparison to be able to tell that they’re lying lol

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Icy-Whale-2253@reddit

I was a tall child and I’m a tall adult so my perspective on who is short was ruined when I was already taller than my mom’s friends by the time I was in elementary school.

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StomachPlayful8581@reddit

When I ask how tall when dating, it’s because if they’re too short, certain…positions…don’t work without having to do some kind of gymnastics. (And I’m just not flexible enough for that shit)

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meowmix778@reddit

I think its more just a weird thing incel adjacent dudes meme about.

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Arleare13@reddit

It's something that shallow and superficial people care about. It's not a ton of people, but a non-negligible number.

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emotions1026@reddit

I had a male friend and a female friend in college who both claimed to be 5’8” even though the female friend was at least 2 inches taller than the guy.

I think he was 5’7” and she was 5’9”

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Zygoatscythe@reddit

Of course they do, just like almost everywhere else in the world, perhaps even more. If you're a short dude let's say from 5" to 5'6 you'll definitely going to be discriminated against in many settings. That's the reality.

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Any-Investment5692@reddit

I'm 6 foot 1.... Guys who are short suffer from small man complex. They are either overly aggressive or they get tons of education to compensate. However the big issue is when it comes to dating. Women want taller men period and short guys are insecure about it. Even very handsome short guys get weird about it. If your a middle aged short fat balding doctor... your chances of dating are slim. If you are middle aged tall and blue collar guy.. you will have more success. And yes guys lie about their height. This is because of dating apps like tinder. When i meet women they always assumed i was shorter when i first meet them due to so many sort guys stating they are 6 foot tall when they are much sorter. So when a woman meets a guy who is as tall as stated. They like it cause it shows honesty, confidence and the fact hes over 6 feet tall.

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DuelJ@reddit

Not particularly

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zim-grr@reddit

Of course they do, it’s part of the what women want equation 6 figures, 6 pack, 6 feet tall, 6 inches - this is common knowledge today,,, jk not everyone cares about that, most women want someone a little taller than them at least. This might be changing somewhat but the 6 equation I mentioned is a fairly recent thing so…

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El_Culero_Magnifico@reddit

Ask Ron Disantis...

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LastCookie3448@reddit

Americans are obsessed with size.

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cbpars@reddit

It's a pretty common filter on dating apps, and it is more commonly used by women. I get a significant bump in matches because I am 6' tall, compared to similar friends who are 5'11" or less. I don't misrepresent my height, but I (barely) clear the most common threshold, so I don't have much of an incentive to. I'd imagine there is probably some level of generous rounding for guys on the threshold, but I don't have a good measure of how common that is, as I don't date men.

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Foghorn2005@reddit

I've definitely been on dates with guys who have lied about their height. My preference in a partner is someone taller than me, both for aesthetics and to get the things out of my reach without relying on stools all the time. When a guy lists a height that should be significantly taller than me, but then show up and they're about my height, it's very obvious.

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