"Dutch Men Now 'Enjoy' the Tallest Average Height"

http://time.com/4423589/americans-shorter-new-height-study/

Putting the above article aside for a second, notice how people talk about height. Dutch men now "enjoy" the tallest average height. You know how certain places like India or Korea value pale skin? "This country now enjoys the lightest skin tone."

Anyway, the most recent research proposes that "Dutch men are the tallest in the world because that’s what Dutch women prefer." I wouldn't be surprised if this is the sole cause, rather than environmental/nutritional factors, because height is about 80% genetic. The rising rate of single parents in the Netherlands also supports this theory. I'm guessing the same tall guys go around impregnating many women.

What's funny is that tribal cultures don't display as much preference for tall men. It's interesting how the more advanced a society is, the more a physical trait like height affects sexual selection.

"Vertically Challenged"

"Vertically challenged" is an interesting phrase only because of the "challenge" part. Challenged by what? Genetics? Nobody says a dark skinned person is "shade challenged" or whatever else.

The best anyone could come up with is that short people struggle to reach things. Clearly baloney as the average woman would be considered vertically challenged if this were the case. Even though a typical short man can reach the same things as her, since he's below the average male height he's "vertically challenged." Extremely tall people tend to complain about physical problems like hitting their heads but they're not considered challenged either.

Unfortunately I couldn't find any fun facts on the origins of this line, unlike "bottom of the totem pole."

Totem Pole Trivia

"Have you heard the expression "low man on the totem pole?" It describes someone of little importance or esteem. But traditionally, the bottom figure on a totem pole is the most important one. The head carver is in charge of this portion of the totem (the bottom 10 feet) since it is most visible and more detailed than the higher regions"

"Vertical order of the images is believed to be a significant representation of importance...so important that "Low Man on the Totem Pole" has much less prestige and importance than the ones above. Having said that, there are poles where the more important images ARE at the bottom or in the middle. Of course, there is a BUT...a totem pole is carved by a chief carver and apprentices. The lower part of the totem pole is the part most often looked at. To make sure the totem looks professional and well-executed, the chief carver personally carves the bottom ten feet of the pole...the inexperience apprentices carve the higher part. BOTTOM LINE...the most intricate and best carved figures are usually placed on the bottom."

Just a little bit of fun trivia, since I've seen people use "bottom of the totem pole" as a pun against short men. Yes, there were times and places where our "taller is better" hierarchy did not apply. Crazy, I know.

Sources:

• How Totem Poles Work
• Native American Totem Poles - History, Meaning and Today

Further reading: Low Man on the Totem Pole

Height and Language

"A lot of people still laugh when people mention "Heightism" as if it's not a real form of discrimination, but they don't understand how incredibly ingrained it is into culture. Really. It's everywhere. Just take language:

When you admire someone, you "look up to them". You don't ask people "What is your height?" you ask them: "How tall are you?". If a man is made less important he's "cut down to size". You're "standing tall" when you're proud. You're "head and shoulders above the rest" when you've done something exceptional. We have "shortcomings", and we're afraid that we "don't measure up".

Heightism is extremely pronounced, but it's not something people really notice unless they are on the receiving end. I'm 5'11", so I'm about regular height for a male. But growing up, I was extremely short compared to all my peers. When I finally had my growth-spurt, I noticed immediately how much more people respected me - it was like night and day." - Source

My favorite is "I'm [insert height] on a good day." That one is less figurative and there's no arguing over the intent. It'd be like me saying my skin is lighter on a good day. When you're a great successor, you're "standing on the shoulders of giants." A stupid person is a mental midget, an intelligent one a towering intellect. Or how about "a man of his stature"? What stature? Short stature? I doubt it.

The only phrases about tallness would be "tall tale" and "tall order." The first is because extreme tallness is larger than life and unbelievable, like how Andre the Giant was nicknamed The Eighth Wonder of the World. "Tall order" is because being tasked to climb a tall mountain or wall seems insurmountable. Not too shabby.

More on this topic here:

"Tall is one of those curious words, like nice, that has had more meanings down the centuries than you can shake a stick at. Back in Anglo-Saxon times it meant swift or prompt, and later on it variously had senses of fine, handsome, bold, strong, brave, skilful and a good fighter. It was only in the sixteenth century that it started to mean somebody or something physically higher than normal."