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Height-ism?

zamphir66
zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
So, I had heard this was a thing, but had not encountered it myself until recently.

A couple of months ago, I decided to dip my toe into the world of online dating. And it didn't take long to see women's profiles where height isn't just a preference, but an absolute (dis)qualifier ("Under 5'10", do not message"; "Must be tall"; "No one under 6' please" etc.).

This strikes me as odd. I could never and would never write something like "BMI < 25 only." And yet, height is completely out of a person's control, whereas weight is not.

I understand we all have preferences. I have preferences. But I like to think none of my preferences are absolute, binary statements. As in, I would never date this particular person because of this one characteristic. I might prefer a slim person, yet I married an overweight person -- because she was funny, smart, creative - basically she checked almost all my boxes, and I try to look at a person in their totality. To put it another way, I might be attracted to X, but that doesn't rule out Y or Z.

In my own profile, I try to imply my preferences rather than lead with them ("looking for someone to go on runs with me..."). I think this is much better.

And I assure you, I write all of this without bitterness. It's more a curiosity of why this form of discrimination is seemingly socially acceptable. Or at least, acceptable in the dimension of online dating.
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Replies

  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    zamphir66 wrote: »
    So, I had heard this was a thing, but had not encountered it myself until recently.

    A couple of months ago, I decided to dip my toe into the world of online dating. And it didn't take long to see women's profiles where height isn't just a preference, but an absolute (dis)qualifier ("Under 5'10", do not message"; "Must be tall"; "No one under 6' please" etc.).

    This strikes me as odd. I could never and would never write something like "BMI < 25 only." And yet, height is completely out of a person's control, whereas weight is not.

    I understand we all have preferences. I have preferences. But I like to think none of my preferences are absolute, binary statements. As in, I would never date this particular person because of this one characteristic. I might prefer a slim person, yet I married an overweight person -- because she was funny, smart, creative - basically she checked almost all my boxes, and I try to look at a person in their totality. To put it another way, I might be attracted to X, but that doesn't rule out Y or Z.

    In my own profile, I try to imply my preferences rather than lead with them ("looking for someone to go on runs with me..."). I think this is much better.

    And I assure you, I write all of this without bitterness. It's more a curiosity of why this form of discrimination is seemingly socially acceptable. Or at least, acceptable in the dimension of online dating.

    If we look at things through an evolutionary eyesight, a man being taller could have been a sign of good genetics or nutrition. Jmho...
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    A friend of mine was doing some online dating. She said that many men listed requirements like, "must be slim", or "fit women only". Racial requirements were common, too.

    I think it's actually good to know up front if someone is that shallow...it saves everyone from wasting their time.

    OK that's interesting. I'm the only male profile I've looked at, and I would never write anything like that.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    I think it's actually good to know up front if someone is that shallow...it saves everyone from wasting their time.

    ^^^This...
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Yes, as noted above, it's completely common to say only fit or thin people only.

    I think it's because of the differences in getting to know someone first and then dating them vs. meeting to date without knowing the person as a person. Of course you tend to focus on the more superficial things more than if you know you already like someone.

    And if something truly is a deal-breaker, it's good to let people know upfront and not have them waste their time.

    Yes, in my experience when you meet someone off-line, like in a social situation, attraction can often develop more . . . organically. I might start talking to someone, find them interesting, and then realize that their eyes are wonderful or they smell really good. An attraction begins to grow.

    When you're meeting people for the purposes of dating/mating online, the physical seems more immediately important. It feels more important, for many, to feel a spark right away. People generally have less interest in giving an attraction room to grow. There's other people out there that you might feel a spark with, so why not give them a try?

    (Obviously this is just my experience and observations, I'm sure there are many experiences that fall outside of this).
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    edited October 2020
    If it really bothers you: women are terrible at evaluating a dude's height IRL. Just saying... o:)

    Someone should compare the distribution of male height on dating apps with that of the general male population.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Slacker16 wrote: »
    If it really bothers you: women are terrible at evaluating a dude's height IRL. Just saying... o:)

    Someone should compare the distribution of male height on dating apps with that of the general male population.

    True in my case, I tend to describe anyone taller than me as "tall" (I'm 5'4) and anyone who is around 6 feet or more as "really, really tall," even if they're 6'1. The men in my family tend to be shorter. I have a brother is who is 5'11 and we all refer to him as the "tall one."