There is a link between short stature and certain personality traits, such as narcissism and Machiavellianism, in men, according to Polish researchers.
- Short women are more likely to cheat on their partner to appear more desirable or to gain some form of protection.
- “Narcissism is linked to eating disorders, body control, and excessive exercise in women,” according to the team.
Do you know the “Napoleon complex”? It is “the belief that short stature is a disadvantage for males, resulting in compensatory behaviors. For example, short males may exhibit indirect aggressive behaviors towards taller males, exhibit behavioral flexibility to obtain resources when they are physically less competitive, and are more likely to be jealous of their romantic partners”, said scientists from the University of Wrocław in Poland.
Personality: 375 adults completed a “dark triad” test
In a study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, they wanted to provide evidence for the existence of such a complex in people with these three dark character traits: psychopathy (i.e. emotional detachment, lack of empathy and guilt) , narcissism (i.e. excessive self-love) and Machiavellianism (i.e. cynicism, deceit). For this, the team recruited 375 people aged 20 to 72 years. A total of 233 men and 134 women took part in the work. They were asked about the “dark triad”, namely the three personality traits.
Short men are more psychopathic, narcissistic and Machiavellian
According to the results, participants, especially men, who were short and those who wished to be taller had higher “dark triad” criteria. Clearly, short men were more narcissistic, psychopathic and Machiavellian than the others. “We believe that these behavioral syndromes are designed by natural selection to allow less imposing individuals to continue to meet life’s challenges. (…) When someone is not physically formidable and does not have an intimidating presence , it must impose itself by other means, and in particular by psychology”, explained the authors.
