Are short men more likely to be narcissists? According to a new Polish study, there is a link between this very trait and men who perceive themselves as below average height.
A new study shows that short men are more likely than other people to exhibit traits of psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism – and the answer to why this is so may lie in evolution.
“Want to appear more respectful”
According to the authors of a new Polish study conducted at the University of Wrocław, short men tend to exhibit narcissistic tendencies in order to increase their own weight:
“When people cannot be physically respectful, they can become psychologically respectful instead,” says the study’s leader, Monika Kozłowska.
She believes that short people who possess traits such as psychopathy can use these to, for example, demand respect from others and impress romantic partners.
“Appearing as more important can in turn cause other people to perceive them as taller than they actually are.”
Exhibited Traits of the “Dark Triad”
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between men whose height was considered to be below average and the display of the personality traits that are part of the so-called “dark triad”: psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism (a cynical and manipulative behavior).
The 367 men and women who participated in the study had to answer questions from a form where they had to state how strongly they recognized themselves in statements such as “I tend to manipulate others to get what I want”. In the form, the participants also stated their height.
The results showed that the short participants – of both sexes – who wished they were taller tended to exhibit traits of psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellianism to a greater extent than others. It was also found that traits of narcissism were particularly strong in the short male participants, a relationship that was not found in the women who were included in the same category.
The study’s researchers have come up with a hypothesis regarding the possible connection between short men and the above characteristics. According to them, it may all be down to evolution:
“We suggest that psychological superiority can provide advantages in survival and mating contexts that balance out a lack of physical superiority,” they say.
Source: Daily Mail
