The hang-up on height, I think has to do with the competition between women. Women compete for status more than men do and being able to show off your tall boyfriend makes them seem more of a winner than somebody who has a 5’10” boyfriend.
I agree with you that “women compete for status”.
I also agree with you that many see “tall” as “status”.
Those are what I call the rules.
Rules are made to be broken.
They can be broken—and for men who are not tall—they must be broken.
That is done by redefining group status by sheer force of personality.
The women’s peer group got brainwashed—the young man must deprogram them.
This is totally doable.
It is called leadership.
Btw—if you want an extreme example of “deprogramming” women look at Charles Manson.
They guy was short and creepy—was a failed musician—and had more beautiful women than he knew what to do with...
That is called “force of personality”.
Any man can develop that—any man.
Part of it is that we have a culture that is openly welcoming to single accomplished women. Such women aren’t in need to settle for a guy that fails to meet their expectations or doesn’t make their desires take over.
The key for men is to see themselves as what they can be instead of what they fear they are.
If those two conditions are just modestly begun upon the initial social contacts they can be self supporting.