The world is full of isms. Many of these are full of negative connotations. Racism involves discrimination against people of a different race. Sexism is usually the discrimination of men against women or even the stereotyping of people into specific roles based on their gender. Ageism is the discrimination of people based on their age. But can heightism really be defined as a form of discrimination? 

No-one really notices that the short man’s opportunities in life are limited. But any many under 5′ 8″ has greatly reduced opportunities in the job market and even in love. It seems that women prefer taller men, and a short man is likely to be rejected by most women - or at least most attractive women - as being too short. 

Sociologist Saul Feldman pointed out in 1971 that heightism is so pervasive and so accepted that it is not even noticed. But the evidence shows that height is closely related to success. Taller men earn more than their shorter counterparts. 

Tall men are likely to achieve greater success in business and in romance than short men. But there are notable exceptions. Short men - often accused of having the Napoleon Complex - may overcompensate for their height by becoming highly aggressive or through over-achieving. Tall men generally have a wide choice when it comes to selecting a partner, while short men are limited to a selection of short women. 

By contrast, women are better off when they are not too tall. A six foot woman will find it much more difficult to find a partner than a short woman. In business, a woman’s height does not seem to be an important factor. 

While many do not take the existence of heightism very seriously at all, there are some that do. These are mainly short people, in particular, short men. Heightism is taken seriously enough for an organisation of short people to have been formed. The organisation is called the National Organisation of Short Statured Adults or NOSSA for short. The NOSSA website sites a great deal of research into heightism and the negative effects that is has of normal human development. 

NOSSA is an organisation for men of 5′ 7″ (170 cm) and below and women of 5′ 2″ (157 cm) and below. These are people that fall below the American national average height and are therefore considered to be short. NOSSA seeks volunteers to assist those with a short stature and “promoting the message of self-empowerment for all of its members, providing a supportive environment in which to share experiences, and committed to opposing heightism in society.” 

Perhaps the very existence of an organisation that aims to counter the effects of height discrimination is proof enough that heightism is a very real form of discrimination. It is a form of discrimination that only the short will be aware of. Tall members of society remain blissfully unaware that shorter people face this all-pervasive form of discrimination almost everywhere they go.