When it comes to modern dating, our generation is more open-minded than ever before. But there’s still a glaring and, if you think about it, archaic prejudice in the dating world: short guys. It’s so prevalent that declaration of height is a common entry in men’s dating profiles, and the trope has even become a running joke among many. We’ve all come across the line, “6’2, since that seems to matter to everyone.”
While short guys have been fighting the battle to win over the opposite sex for generations, recent studies suggest that the ladies who overlook them are the ones missing out. According to a study out of NYU, as well as a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, here are five major advantages that short guys have over their average and above-average cohorts:
1. They do more housework
There’s a correlation between shorter men and how much they contribute around the house. Usually, they contribute over an hour more a week than taller men, which leaves us ladies time to park on the couch with a glass of wine and watch our favorite show.
2. They’re breadwinners
Despite the extra minutes pitching in at home, studies find that 78% of short men out earn their partners—That’s 9% more often than average or tall men. If you’re looking for a guy who can bring home the bacon (and then, quite likely cook it up for you), steer your sights toward someone 5’6 or shorter.
3. They get divorced less often
Shorter men are less likely to get married—their marriage rate is about 18% lower than that of taller men, and the study proposes that this lower rate may be due women finding short men less masculine or desirable. But of those short men who do get married, their divorce rate is 32% lower than men in other height categories. When they do commit, they’re more likely to stick to it.
4. They’re more open-minded about age
Short men are more likely to date women who are either older or younger than them. This may be because of society’s perception that short men are more immature, and their own desire to prove otherwise. Being with an older woman, as well as being the older man in a relationship may nurse their inclination to do so.
5. They have more sex
A study of men’s physical attributes in relation to sexual activity revealed that while it’s no surprise that men who are more fit report having more sex, the men who have the most sex are shorter than 5’9.
Ann Friedman argues that while shorties often fall into poor favor with women on the dating scene, it has less to do with the guy and more to do with a woman’s own insecurity and need to feel feminine. But she goes on to argue that women can get over the difference in height by remembering that short men who are confident enough to date a taller woman are also more comfortable with her professional prowess, competitiveness, and feminism.
It’s starting to look like the old adage, “tall, dark, and handsome” could use some updating.
