In August of 1999 I participated in a Q&A via email with journalist Lina Pihl of the Swedish magazine, Amelia.

LP: Hello! I´m a journalist at the swedish magazine Amelia. I´m going to write an article about short men, and if there is any truth behind the saying: Short men need to take more place. Therefore they succeed....etc etc.
Maybe you have heard about the Napoleon-syndrome. Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to ask you some questions about this, since you seem to be interested in your height.

G: I would be glad to.

LP: Do you feel that, because of your height, you need to take more place? Why/ Why not?

G: I HAVE TO BE HONEST. I HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS SAYING. IT COULD BE JUST A KNOWN SAYING IN EUROPE. I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING THOUGH. I THINK THAT SHORTMEN SUBCONSCIOUSLY AND THROUGH LIFE EXPERIENCES NATURALLY ALTER THEIR BEHAVIOR TO 'TAKE MORE PLACE' OR OVERCOMPENSATE FOR THEIR LACK OF HEIGHT. THEY FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T MEASURE UP. THEY FEEL OUT OF THE LOOP. THEY FEEL LIKE THEY GET NO RESPECT. THEREFORE THEY WORK HARDER TO BE BIGGER THAN THEY ARE WHICH IS NOT VERY APPEALLING TO ANYONE. SO THEY END UP DOING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY ARE INTENDING TO DO.

LP: Have you at any time felt you´ve been treaten unfairly because of your height? How?

G: I THINK IT IS THE RARE CASE IF A SHORT MAN HAS NOT
BEEN TREATED UNFAIRLY IN HIS LIFE. WHEN WE ARE
CHILDREN WE ARE PICKED LAST BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE
UNABLE TO DISCERN SKILL FROM SIZE SO THEY ALWAYS
PICKED THE BIGGEST KIDS FIRST. THIS TENDED TO GIVE MY
TEAM THE ADVANTAGE BECAUSE THE OVERLOOKED MY SKILLS. SHORT BOYS TEND TO ATTRACT BULLIES AS WELL. THIS IS OF COURSE UNTIL WE STAND UP TO THE BULLY (REGARDLESS OF RESULTING DAMAGE).
ONCE WE HAVE BECOME YOUNG MEN AND ALL THE OTHER YOUNG MEN HAVE GROWN TALLER THAN THE GIRLS WE ARE NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY ANYMORE BY THE GIRLS. THIS IS A MAJOR BLOW BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE BEFORE TO PROVE OURSELVES IS NOT VERY ATTRACTIVE TO FEMALES. MY HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DATING LIFE WAS ALMOST NON-EXISTANT BECAUSE I WAS NEVER TAKEN SERIOUSLY, OF COURSE UNTIL MY WONDERFUL WIFE SHOWED UP.
WHEN WE ARE ADULTS AND IN THE BUSINESS WORLD WE TEND TO BE OVERLOOKED FOR MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP POSITIONS. I MUST ADMIT THAT THINGS ARE CHANGING IN THIS RESPECT HERE IN THE U.S.

LP: Are there any more problems with being short?

G: I THINK I COVERED THE BIGGIES. THERE ARE THE ANNOYING
THINGS LIKE WHEN YOU ARE AN ADULT, KIDS NOT TAKING YOU SERIOUSLY AND THINKING YOU ARE ONE OF THEIR PIERS.
THIS CHANGES QUICKLY ONCE YOU START TALKING AND THEY REALIZE YOU ARE OLDER.

LP: Is there any truth behind the assumption that short men take place, therefore they succeed in what they do?

G: I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THE PHRASE TAKE PLACE BUT I DO
KNOW WHAT SHORT MEN HAVE TO DO TO SUCCEED IN WHAT THEY DO. THIS MAY SOUND SIMPLE BUT IT CERTAINLY IS NOT.
THEY HAVE TO COME TO TERMS WITH WHO THEY ARE AND
ACCEPT WHO THEY ARE. THIS TENDS TO COME WITH MATURITY AND NOT BIGGER MUSCLES OR A LARGER ATTITUDE. SOME SHORT MEN NEVER FIND THAT INNER PEACE. ONCE SHORT MEN LEARN TO POKE FUN AT THEIR HEIGHT AND LEARN TO ACCEPT THEMSELVES, SUCCESSES FOLLOW. I THINK THAT WHEN SHORT MEN FORCE THEMSELVES ON TO PEOPLE, THEY TURN PEOPLE OFF.

LP: You´re married to a taller woman. How do people react? For example walking on the town, etc etc.

G: IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. MY WIFE AND I ARE SOUL-MATES.
WE LOVE EACH OTHER DEARLY. WHEN WE WALK DOWN THE
STREET HOLDING HANDS AND PEOPLE CHUCKLY OR STARE, IT
IS VERY ANNOYING BECAUSE I KNOW THEY DON'T THINK WE
ARE SERIOUS. ON THE CONTRARY, WE ARE AS SERIOUS AS
THEY COME. WE GET STARES WHEN WE SLOW DANCE TOO. BUT WE DO IT ANYWAY.

LP: What do you do yourself? How long have you had your website?

G: I AM AN ENGINEER. I HAVE HAD THE WEB SITE UP AND
RUNNING FOR OVER TWO YEARS NOW.

LP: How tall are you exactly? How tall is your wife?

G: I AM 5'0" AND MY WIFE IS 5'10".

LP: Why did you start your website?

G: I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO LET OTHER
COUPLES, WHERE THE WOMAN IS SIGNIFICANTLY TALLER, TO
SEE THAT THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES. I WANTED TO DO
WHAT I COULD TO MAKE IT MORE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE. I
HOPE THAT THE PAGE CAN BE A PLACE THAT THESE COUPLES
CAN COME TOGETHER OR JUST VISIT ON OCCASION TO FEEL
COMFORTABLE WITH WHO THEY ARE.

LP: Thank you so much for the very interesting answers. This magazine is
mainly a paper-magazine, but a part of it is published on the net: www.amelia.nu. Anyway, thank you for your help.

G: THANK YOU.

Your thoughts are always welcome (tallershorter@yahoo.com).

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