I have friends of both sexes who are bigger than me – that is, they are taller, or heavier, or both. This doesn’t affect our relationships, although the very tall ones give me a literal pain in the neck. Are they too big, or am I too small? There is supposed to be a correct size for everything in nature. The scientist J.B.S.Haldane wrote a classic essay (1927) showing exactly why the mouse and the elephant are exactly the size they ought to be, and must be for overriding biological reasons. With humans, it’s not so easy. We tend to be chronically dissatisfied with our natural size in all dimensions, even though the differences may be no more than a few inches or a few pounds. Weight, it seems, can now be modified by drugs, but no drug yet on the market can improve our height, once we have finished growing
The obsession with height begins in childhood. You must have noticed how kids will try anything to compensate for their frustratingly small height. They will climb up on chairs, trees, walls, rocks, and just about any high object. The playground climbing frame is designed to cater to this impulse. It feels good to go up, it feels powerful. When grownups say “Come down, it’s dangerous,” that doubles the fun.
As a child, I was enthusiastic, though not very skilled, tree climber. In fact, I would climb on anything and had absolutely no respect for gravity until once, while teaching myself to fly, I launched out from the top of the garden shed and forgot to flap my arms. It was a hard Landing, and after I had recovered from my injuries and my mother had recovered from the shock, I didn’t try aviation again for a long time.
This childish obsession with gaining altitude is entirely rational. We are dominated throughout childhood by tall people. In adulthood, even a few inches of extra height can be an enormous advantage in this world, especially for men. Studies have shown without a doubt that taller men are more likely to be elected to public office or promoted to managerial and executive positions. In matters of love, tall men are nature's winners. Look at the dating websites and personal columns and see how often "tall" is specified by women as a requirement for romance. Is this just because women want help with changing the light bulbs? Or are they afraid of being attacked by short men, or just being seen with one?
Those of us who are of the correct height, neither tall nor short but normal, can see both sides of the height issue. We look up to some people and down on others, and we know which feels best and gives a greater sense of power.
Cats are immune to this heightism. They look up at a tall and distinguished person, or down at a dead mouse, with equal contempt. We could learn something from cats. They focus on what matters. “Can you open that cat food can? Will you open that door?” Height means nothing to them. We might be happier and saner creatures if it meant nothing to us.
