From a evolutionary standpoint, why aren't men attracted to women who are significantly taller then they are?
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interweb (
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November 10th, 2010
Survival is merely a normal prerequisite to reproduction. Psychosocially speaking, females tend to be attracted to dominant males due to social Darwinism, the term known as “survival of the fittest”, and want men who are appealing for reproduction; wither that be being physically fit or have specific traits.
Most men, not all, prefer shorter women
Most women, not all, prefer taller men
Although this is just a generalization there are some relapsing truth to it. When a woman who is significantly taller than a man, and is considered to be evolutionary superior because of that, is there a reason for being unattracted to someone of that stature, or is it because he himself feels inferior? If women are attracted to men who are biologically taller, why aren’t men attracted to women who are taller? (for reproduction) I’m sure men would still be able to find her attractive, but would never consider her as a long term partner.
A large difference in height—not just by a couple of inches.
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29 Answers
Little is easier to control.
Does it remind guys of childhood when their mother was the tall one?
(It doesn’t bother me.)
I love tall women. Even if they are taller than me and I’m 6 ft.
Maybe it’s just a cultural preference; not something genetic. A taller guy can look down, and a shorter woman might feel safer with someone who looks down on her compared to someone who looks up to her.
If men are on average taller than women, then “opposites attract” leads to more mating. That is evolutionary success. The same works for species where the females are larger.
If both sexes insisted on taller mates it becomes a case of musical chairs – not enough to go around.
Tall women makes me weak in the knees (I’m 5’2”).
I think it is because women respond to those signs that indicate sexual dimorphism. Taller males is one of these signs.
Because not all behavior is a result of biological evolution and the quest for mates.
I don’t think its so much a case of men not being attracked to taller women, but rather women not being attracked to shorter men. Women want their offspring to be taller.
Most evolutionistic spouting strikes me as hyperbolic nonsense. Certainly there are also cultural factors.
Actually talking to people seems to turn up some ideas and stories about men protecting women, and eroticism around men overpowering women, women wanting “stronger” men, and men being afraid of losing women and so wanting to control them or be able to offer them services.
Well there is that 6’ foot model thing….
But let’s ignore that and concentrate on what we know. In some species the female is larger. In some it’s the male. For whatever reason evolutionary forces work that out. In most cases the offspring will see their parents as one larger and one smaller. For humans, that means a taller father and shorter mother. So when the boy imagines mating, he imagines… the little woman.
Ya think?
Back when human beings were invented, sexual intercourse was not always a gentle experience. Some females wound up being sexual partners against their will.
Larger females were more able to resist the advances of males.
Smaller women were more likely to become mothers.
Thus, larger women became selected out of the gene pool, plus they were regarded as difficult opportunities anyway, and little by little, a bias developed in males against larger females.
My wife is significantly taller than me.
I like taller women. I’m a pretty short guy. I stand just barely at 5’6”. Taller women are just sexy. Legs that are as long as I am tall… MAN, OH MAN!
Of course, it makes having sex while standing up tough to accomplish but, thanks to gravity, the ground is always an option if the motor is revved high enough. Know what I’m sayin?
@josie Didn’t the invention of flowers handle that problem?
@6rant6 Yes. Flowers changed everything.
Anyway, I have never personally known a woman taller than me.
Men will be sexually atracted to pretty much any woman.
But anyway… man want to look tall… that is important for their competitive status. A tall woman doesn’t help then.
@josie sorry but that isn’t why women are smaller than men. Women pick the strongest mate. He would mate with the whole tribe. He would mate with the genetically lesser women too, so all the female genes get passed on but only the strongest male genes would.
“Most men, not all, prefer shorter women
Most women, not all, prefer taller men”
I don’t know if I accept that premise, even on a general level.
I’ve never knowingly met a typical man who is not attracted to taller women.
@josie ‘Thus, larger women became selected out of the gene pool’. I’m saying that’s not why women aren’t generally taller than men. Maybe there is some truth to it but I think my reason would be a more likely theory.
@lemming Women pick the strongest mate
Who says they picked any mate?
Who says they did not get picked themselves?
It was not until humans became civilized that pairing up became a matter of ethics.
All I know is that this happens in the wild too. Take deers for example, the stags fight to see who is the strongest and whoever wins out on top gets to mate with all the female deers, thus the male offspring will have the strenghth of their father, but the females will be genetally inferior to the males like their mother.
As @crisw said ..sexual dimorphism is the main cause. For a short explanation, check out the middle of this page on humans.
I know nothing about evolutionary reasons but from a purely personal point of view, I feel very uncomfortable with women who are taller than me. And that’s quite a lot of women, because I’m only 5’6”.
Because, as a group this will leave a lot of petite women carrying huge babies from huge men. Ouch.
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