Sunday, September 25, 2005
Why I hate tall people
It has lately occured to me that I have a short man complex. I don't like tall people. I avoid meeting them, I assume they wouldn't like me even if I did talk to them. Even the times I've tried to talk to tall people, I cannot find anything in common. They don't do any of the same things I do. They don't like any of the things I like. I guess I'm speaking generally, but I cannot think of any specific examples of tall people who I have gotten along well with. Even with Jerris, I always felt like there was something keeping us from being close friends. Okay, so I just remembered Marshal from high school and Andrew, another roommate, both of whom are in the 6 foot realm. Maybe it's just tall people I've met lately. Maybe I'm letting specific instances get me down. What? You want examples? Well, let me just prove what a jerk I am:
So today, we're playing ultimate frisbee (a common sunday afternoon activity for us gringos). A guy is guarding me (i kinda feel bad that I can't remember his name, even if I wouldn't actually spell it out here if I did remember) and he is roughly 6'7." This makes his armspan so big that there is absolutely no way to get the frisbee around him. So I throw too low for his arms (up high) to block and he blocks me with his feet. Nobody sees any problem with this but me, apparently, so I merely try to use my legs to block him. I'll remind you at this point that I'm 5'6" and the really short part is the legs. I'm a short-legged fella. I always fit on bus and airplane seats, comfortably. Always. First time i try to leg-block, I fail. Later he uses his legs to block someone else. It still makes me mad because I see it as a cheap move and my complaining that it's not a legal move just makes me look like a whiner. "Oh look at Adam, he's a big legalistic nerd who always has to play by the rules." So, maybe I get a little too mad. I kick twice in the air and at the second kick, he has moved forward a little bit (and it currently throwing the frisbee) and I kick him in the stomach. He gets mad (and rightly so, I wasn't trying to kick him, I just wanted to tick him off...which I suppose makes me even more of a jerk). He tells me that it looked awfully deliberate. I tell him I can see how he might see that, but i did not mean to kick him. Truth is, if my legs were as long as his are, I might have kicked his hand instead, which is what I was aiming for, as that is where the frisbee was. I was happy to see that I was calm, because I genuinely was sorry I hit his stomach, but maybe he should have punched me in the face. I've had it coming for a while. As it was I walked off the field. This is another of my poor qualities: upon encountering conflict, I usually walk away instead of hanging around to solve the problem. I don't think I do this with close friends, but i definitely do with people I don't know at all. In fact, I was just thinking how I wish I could solve all of this by deciding never to play sports again, but that's not the right answer, either. I'd rather not play than play mad; it's just not fun anymore if I play angry. I wasn't angry at this point, but he was, so instead of trying to recreate the scene again, I kept the incident from possibly recurring by walking off the field. Shortly afterward, one team won, still not sure which, as we were close when I left the game. I told him I was sorry, and I am, but I'm still not interested in making things better with him, because I'm petty and I hold it against him that I'm sorry I wronged him when I feel like he is not sorry he wronged me (although, I doubt he feels that he wrongs me or thinks that I feel wronged).
So, I guess this means that I don't want to forgive him...and for whatever reason, I don't want to forgive tall people in general for having been born with an athletic advantage that i could never overcome. I actually blame them for having been born the way they were, can you believe it? And I definitely feel like they consider me a lesser person, dislike me for being too short, or too smart, or not athletic enough, and I let all that get to me, as if it matters what they think. I'm so petty it's ridiculous.
It's amazing how right one feels in the heat of the moment, only to look back and realize that one was way out of line. I hate being a jerk. I wish i was a better guy.
I should've been punched in the face. Maybe that would've knocked some sense into me.
So today, we're playing ultimate frisbee (a common sunday afternoon activity for us gringos). A guy is guarding me (i kinda feel bad that I can't remember his name, even if I wouldn't actually spell it out here if I did remember) and he is roughly 6'7." This makes his armspan so big that there is absolutely no way to get the frisbee around him. So I throw too low for his arms (up high) to block and he blocks me with his feet. Nobody sees any problem with this but me, apparently, so I merely try to use my legs to block him. I'll remind you at this point that I'm 5'6" and the really short part is the legs. I'm a short-legged fella. I always fit on bus and airplane seats, comfortably. Always. First time i try to leg-block, I fail. Later he uses his legs to block someone else. It still makes me mad because I see it as a cheap move and my complaining that it's not a legal move just makes me look like a whiner. "Oh look at Adam, he's a big legalistic nerd who always has to play by the rules." So, maybe I get a little too mad. I kick twice in the air and at the second kick, he has moved forward a little bit (and it currently throwing the frisbee) and I kick him in the stomach. He gets mad (and rightly so, I wasn't trying to kick him, I just wanted to tick him off...which I suppose makes me even more of a jerk). He tells me that it looked awfully deliberate. I tell him I can see how he might see that, but i did not mean to kick him. Truth is, if my legs were as long as his are, I might have kicked his hand instead, which is what I was aiming for, as that is where the frisbee was. I was happy to see that I was calm, because I genuinely was sorry I hit his stomach, but maybe he should have punched me in the face. I've had it coming for a while. As it was I walked off the field. This is another of my poor qualities: upon encountering conflict, I usually walk away instead of hanging around to solve the problem. I don't think I do this with close friends, but i definitely do with people I don't know at all. In fact, I was just thinking how I wish I could solve all of this by deciding never to play sports again, but that's not the right answer, either. I'd rather not play than play mad; it's just not fun anymore if I play angry. I wasn't angry at this point, but he was, so instead of trying to recreate the scene again, I kept the incident from possibly recurring by walking off the field. Shortly afterward, one team won, still not sure which, as we were close when I left the game. I told him I was sorry, and I am, but I'm still not interested in making things better with him, because I'm petty and I hold it against him that I'm sorry I wronged him when I feel like he is not sorry he wronged me (although, I doubt he feels that he wrongs me or thinks that I feel wronged).
So, I guess this means that I don't want to forgive him...and for whatever reason, I don't want to forgive tall people in general for having been born with an athletic advantage that i could never overcome. I actually blame them for having been born the way they were, can you believe it? And I definitely feel like they consider me a lesser person, dislike me for being too short, or too smart, or not athletic enough, and I let all that get to me, as if it matters what they think. I'm so petty it's ridiculous.
It's amazing how right one feels in the heat of the moment, only to look back and realize that one was way out of line. I hate being a jerk. I wish i was a better guy.
I should've been punched in the face. Maybe that would've knocked some sense into me.
# posted by Adam @ 4:34 PM 
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I don't have an issue with tall people, well because the world is tall to me, but I can relate.
I found that for some reason I discriminate against fat people. I genuinly don't really like them and I always think that they are stupid fat and lazy, even when they are not.
Its just one of those weird things that I one day noticed. I thought I didn't have any issues with people, that I was the picture of tollerance or something. But I have trouble avoiding the preconcerived fat people notions.
Its just something you have to make a note of and try not to do any more. Its doesn't make you a bad person, you found that you have a problem and your trying to fix it.
I found that for some reason I discriminate against fat people. I genuinly don't really like them and I always think that they are stupid fat and lazy, even when they are not.
Its just one of those weird things that I one day noticed. I thought I didn't have any issues with people, that I was the picture of tollerance or something. But I have trouble avoiding the preconcerived fat people notions.
Its just something you have to make a note of and try not to do any more. Its doesn't make you a bad person, you found that you have a problem and your trying to fix it.
It's no wonder that you don't see eye-to-eye with tall people...
Ha!
Seriously though, you can't do much about your prejudices--only the behavior that may result from them. Like Crystal said, at least you've identified a problem.
Each of us has particular burdens to bear. Please don't add to yours by maintaining grudges/ill-will. The spirit of competition may be adversarial, but the game is ultimately about enjoying the company of others. Even the busters.
Thanks for the post--You've given me some things to think about regardng my own prejudices.
Ha!
Seriously though, you can't do much about your prejudices--only the behavior that may result from them. Like Crystal said, at least you've identified a problem.
Each of us has particular burdens to bear. Please don't add to yours by maintaining grudges/ill-will. The spirit of competition may be adversarial, but the game is ultimately about enjoying the company of others. Even the busters.
Thanks for the post--You've given me some things to think about regardng my own prejudices.
i really hate mean tall people who make fun of us short people. Nice tall people are ok, in fact some of my friends are tall, but the a**holes that tease short people are piss streaks, they should go die in a hole.
# posted by 
: 11:33 PM
: 11:33 PM
I hate tall ppl too. They always look down at shorter ppl then them. Men and Women.
# posted by : 2:16 PM
: 2:16 PM
You are not that short the average height officially is 5ft7. Anyone over 6ft is considered tall.
If you were 5ft tall than you would be considered short and would have problems playing with other people normal height or tall.
You seem to be out of shape and don't lift weights. It really doesn't matter height but strenght. Lift weights and you'll increase strenght and speed. You'll also be able to stretch your arms out more. Unless you are playing basketball, height doesn't matter in a game. For height to be an issue you would need to be a dwarf around 3ft or less.
You also need to practice on whatever sport you're playing or else even if your tall the other guy would easily counter block your moves.
So basically you aren't short but normal but you need to get your body into shape and learn how to play a game. Being tall doesn't give you an advantage over a normal sized person.
The only issue where height is the problem besides bssketball is in Job hiring. People tend to hire tall people because they claim it presents a more professional image. Its basically that their height makes customers feel more secure and to nagging customers more intimidating. Also people usually want to take conversations with tall people because tall people are known to ignore people pretending they don't see the person in front of them because they are to tall to notice. All they can say is oh I didn't hear or see you there.
If you were 5ft tall than you would be considered short and would have problems playing with other people normal height or tall.
You seem to be out of shape and don't lift weights. It really doesn't matter height but strenght. Lift weights and you'll increase strenght and speed. You'll also be able to stretch your arms out more. Unless you are playing basketball, height doesn't matter in a game. For height to be an issue you would need to be a dwarf around 3ft or less.
You also need to practice on whatever sport you're playing or else even if your tall the other guy would easily counter block your moves.
So basically you aren't short but normal but you need to get your body into shape and learn how to play a game. Being tall doesn't give you an advantage over a normal sized person.
The only issue where height is the problem besides bssketball is in Job hiring. People tend to hire tall people because they claim it presents a more professional image. Its basically that their height makes customers feel more secure and to nagging customers more intimidating. Also people usually want to take conversations with tall people because tall people are known to ignore people pretending they don't see the person in front of them because they are to tall to notice. All they can say is oh I didn't hear or see you there.
sorry I meant people want to take conversations more SERIOUSLY with tall people in the last paragraph.
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