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Tall People Are Happier Than Petite Peers, Princeton Test Shows
RedOrbit ^ | 09 Sep 2009 | Staff

Posted on 09/10/2009 10:16:51 AM PDT by AreaMan

Taller People Make Happier People, Study Shows

Taller people appear to live happier lives, according to a new study.

Researchers conducted a phone survey among more than 454,065 adults aged 18 and older between January 2008 and April 2009.

Participants were asked to give their height as well as answer questions about their standard of living.

Writing in the journal Economics and Human Biology, researchers said they used the Cantril "self-measuring striving scale", which allows participants to describe their quality of life through imagining a “life ladder” with rungs numbered from zero to 10 at the top.

The top rung is associated with the “best possible life for you” and the bottom rung is the “worst possible life for you”.

Researchers found that taller people reported being more happy with their life than those who were shorter.

Men who were taller than 5ft 10in ranked themselves at an average of 6.55 on the ladder scale. Men who were below average height, ranked themselves at an average of 6.41.

Among women, those who were taller than an average height of 5ft 4in ranked themselves 6.64, compared to 6.55 in shorter women.

Researchers also noted that men and women who were above average in terms of height were more likely to report overall happiness and less likely to report sadness.

"Surprisingly people who say that their lives are the 'best possible' are slightly shorter on average than those who are a step or two below,” Angus Deaton from Princeton University told BBC News.

"Perhaps the 8 percent of people who think their lives cannot be improved are different in other respects."

Additionally, they found that taller men reported worrying less.

"There's no direct correlation between income and happiness - surveys going back years show that,” psychologist Dr Colin Gill told BBC Health.

"But there does appear to be a correlation between height and happiness and height and income.

"If you look at this study, the people who are happiest are not the very tallest. There is a threshold of height tolerance - at about 6ft 5in to 6ft 6in.
 
"Height does matter, it's always mattered for a very obvious reason - when you are born you are shorter than the people who look after you and have authority over you,” he added. “And that power relationship never reverses."

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: happiness; psychology; short; society; tall
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To: MarkeyD
This guy is 7' 9", and wife is 5' 5"


41 posted on 09/10/2009 10:49:18 AM PDT by C210N (A patriot for a Conservative Renaissance!)
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To: Dixie Yooper
Had a Lotus Elan for about a week. Sold it to a short guy with a complex. Spent all my time getting in and out of it. 6'1” here.
42 posted on 09/10/2009 10:49:51 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Nemo me impune lacessit The law will be followed, dammit!)
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To: Tribune7

I had a photo taken with Penn during their Refrigerator Tour, on my birthday coincidentally.

He looks me in the eye and says “Tall guy, huh”.


43 posted on 09/10/2009 10:50:20 AM PDT by MarkeyD (OBAMA. Chains we can believe in!)
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To: MarkeyD

My husband’s 7’2” cousin once had a T-shirt made that said, “I LIKE short people. I had two for lunch.”

I think another one said, “Yes, I play basketball.”


44 posted on 09/10/2009 10:55:40 AM PDT by 1951Boomer
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To: Constitutions Grandchild
Exactly! AND we can see over everybody’s heads at parades.

Sometimes.

Not always.


45 posted on 09/10/2009 10:55:51 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Tagline pawned: Ticket Number 1032983. Redeem by Oct 4, 2009.)
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To: AreaMan

I suspect that men who are erect are happier.


46 posted on 09/10/2009 11:00:46 AM PDT by Sig Sauer P220 ("Peace" is that brief, glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading - Anonymous)
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To: luvEastTenn

I knew a 7’6” guy with a “Yes, I play basketball” T-Shirt, although he wasn’t that good.


47 posted on 09/10/2009 11:01:59 AM PDT by MarkeyD (OBAMA. Chains we can believe in!)
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To: C210N

Saves a fortune of knee pads.


48 posted on 09/10/2009 11:03:42 AM PDT by Sig Sauer P220 ("Peace" is that brief, glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading - Anonymous)
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To: AreaMan

I am 6’3” and am generally happy with my size but there are times such as sitting in an airline seat where I would gladly be 5”6”.


49 posted on 09/10/2009 11:06:02 AM PDT by yarddog
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To: Constitution Day

Also, I’m not worried about being shanghaied to go bake cookies in Keebler’s Hollow Tree sweatshop.

very funny 5’1’ here.

And always led the school line because we were lined up shortest to tallest. Became a born leader because of my prominence in being small. Also spend many years as a cute armful.


50 posted on 09/10/2009 11:07:54 AM PDT by Chickensoup
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To: Malichi
Gee, I guess Randy Newman was right, huh?

Remember that was written before Prozac was widely available.

:-}

51 posted on 09/10/2009 11:09:35 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: Dixie Yooper

I stopped using my turn signal in Utah. I found that it is the best way to guarantee that nobody lets you in.


52 posted on 09/10/2009 11:09:39 AM PDT by Skenderbej
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To: luvEastTenn

While living in Albania, I was much taller and bigger than the average male there (5’11”, 180lbs). They would always ask, “Do you play basketball?”, to which I would reply, “yes”. They would then say, “Oh, that’s why you’re so tall!”

To them you grew tall because you played basketball, not that you played basketball because you were tall. Of course, in high school I was the third shortest player on varsity.


53 posted on 09/10/2009 11:14:05 AM PDT by Skenderbej
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To: Lazamataz

Where did you find him? Fun house mirror??? Too funny. (I though better of my comment. I hope he’s not a relative or close friend, so please take my comment in the kindest possible way.) ;-)


54 posted on 09/10/2009 11:14:48 AM PDT by Constitutions Grandchild
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To: yarddog
I am 6’3” and am generally happy with my size but there are times such as sitting in an airline seat where I would gladly be 5”6”.

I would gladly trade a few hours of discomfort in exchange for being 6'3"

Pain (discomfort) is temporary...being short sucks all the time.

55 posted on 09/10/2009 11:18:02 AM PDT by AreaMan
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To: Constitutions Grandchild

ITSSSS MMMMEEEEEEEEEE......(cry cry cry)


56 posted on 09/10/2009 11:26:59 AM PDT by Lazamataz (Tagline pawned: Ticket Number 1032983. Redeem by Oct 4, 2009.)
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To: AreaMan

I think this reallu only applies to most men....not so much women. The blonde thing applies to women.


57 posted on 09/10/2009 11:34:07 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy
Agreed.

Men, generally speaking, like women. Tall women, short women...whatever. They like women.

58 posted on 09/10/2009 11:35:48 AM PDT by AreaMan
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To: Lazamataz

I’ll never believe that, so dry those crocodile tears and be HAPPY!!!!


59 posted on 09/10/2009 11:36:46 AM PDT by Constitutions Grandchild
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To: Constitutions Grandchild

I am tall and for some reason have always been attracted to petite blonde girls or ones with light brown hair. The two hottest girls I have ever dated were 5’ and 5’1” tall. Both were sweet as could be and had great figures.

Now that doesn’t mean I don’t also like tall ones with any color hair if they are pretty.


60 posted on 09/10/2009 11:41:49 AM PDT by yarddog
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