Do you think that the theory of "Napoleon Complex" is accurate?

[BeachBaby]

I have to admit, I see it often with dogs - where there's a tiny dog attacking the ankles of another dog or even a human - but I often wonder if it's accurate among humans.

Any experiences? Thoughts? Opinions?

[TZ]

1. In men yes...

I've seen it. Though surprisingly not the short men in my family. But the nastiest bosses I ever had were short men. Only a personal observation though.

[BeachBaby]

3. Jeez - I've seen it with my own father.

He's tall, but VERY small in stature. My brother is slightly shorter than our dad, but much bigger.

My father is always telling my brother how he could "take him" - now remember, my brother is 39, spent a decade in the Army, and works out 5 days a week. Our father is 65, lays on the couch all day, and is withering away. :eyes:

I'm not so sure it's a height thing, in as much as it is an ego thing - or maybe a "build" thing. I really don't know.

[TZ]

4. I've always felt that it was a height thing.

Think about how many women won't go out with a man shorter than them. When you are short....you kind of get treated differently...I used to get patted on the head alot (don't like the condescension that implies). For me, that's irritating. For men, I could see how that warps one sometimes..Not all the time, but imo men have superfragile ego's when it comes to certain things.
I also slightly unrelated remember a funny line given to my younger sister (who is 4 ft 9 remember). Some guy came over looked her up and down and said audibly to his friend "short but cute"...:)
I do feel that alot of short men get treated with disrespect though...much more than short women...

[3.14158675309]

2. I didn't find Napoleon very complex at all

In fact, I found him rather dumb and unfunny.

[BeachBaby]

10. Goof.

:rofl:

[CreekDog]

17. he was a former BYU student

:think:

[BeachBaby]

19. OMG - really?

:rofl: :hi:

[CreekDog]

20. Yeah, he and the writers were all BYU students

and the t-shirt he wore in the movie for "Ricks College" is now called BYU Idaho (it's like BYU's Junior College).

i was a BYU student so I know these things. :boring:

[Aristus]

5. I think it's misnamed. Napoleon wasn't considered especially short in his day.

At 5'4", he was only two or three inches below the contemporary European standard. He was still depicted as tiny in political cartoons and such, but that was after he had already begun his campaign of conquest.

[Catshrink]

6. I once sat on one of his sofas

A family I knew in Chicago had a sofa they claimed had belonged to Napoleon (could have been -- they were old money). I'm 5'4" and found the sofa short -- looked like the legs had been sawn off a bit.

[BeachBaby]

11. I've heard that before.

I'm not really talking about Napoleon himself - I'm asking more about the concept of shorter/smaller men with tempers, egos, etc.

:hi:

[Steely_Dan]

7. Absolutely

I am a "shorter" man at 5'5". All my life I have had to compete with others that were taller, faster, etc. etc. I definitely think it effected my personality...but in a good way. I had to work harder to achieve the same level of accomplishment (in physical things). This was particularly true when I was in school. I think it also impacted the way I saw myself. I had to find other ways to draw attention to myself. I developed a quick wit and biting sense of humor that has served me well for many years. I also think it had an effect on my "leadership" skills. Well, that and Military School. I became known as a "dynamic leader." I think I was just trying to prove myself at every turn.

Anyway, back when tennis was a "small man's game," I did pretty well. While I didn't have the wingspan at the net, I was always much quicker than my opponents.

-P

I might add that my wife is 4'9".

[BeachBaby]

13. Makes sense to me, but....

what you are referring to is more about working harder to achieve the same things that taller people found easier to achieve. Totally understandable - it is what it is. And you work with what you've got.

I'm talking more about attitudes and behavior. I'm wondering if there is any truth to the concept of the power struggle among humans, based on height and stature.

Thanks for posting! :hi:

[DS1]

8. I'm considered short at 5'6" and I've had far more short men

pushing their chests up into me and yelling and picking fights that I have had tall men picking fights.

[BeachBaby]

14. Your experiences sound like my brother's experiences.

He's 6'0" and 200 pounds of solid muscle. He's told me, more than once, that when he goes to a bar, someone much smaller than he is - and drunk - will purposely try to pick a fight with him. My brother is a very quiet person by nature - doesn't pick fights - and yet, some dude will just start shit with him, just for the hell of it.

Bizarre.

[Midlodemocrat]

24. They just wanted to be next to your perky nipples.

[LynneSin]

9. I had this annoying co-worker that had a serious Napoleon Complex

This was decades ago when I use to sell cars (yes I sold them). He was a geeky looking kid who was barely 5'2". He's brag about how he kept a loaded gun under his car seat (he was driving a bad camero - not one of the classics but a beatup one) and thought it was neat that his name was the same of a Hurricane that had just devestated Florida - he wanted us to call him 'Hurricane Andrew' (I kid you not). He had a framed picture of a headline from the hurricane on his desk.

I use to wear 4" heels to work (I'm already 5'10") just to piss him off and when I'd talk to him I'd stand real close so he would have to stretch his head up just to talk to me.

[BeachBaby]

15. LOL.

Yeah, you're taller than I am - and that's rare for me to come across, as far as the female contingent (I'm 5'9").

Enjoyed the story! :rofl: :hi:

[LynneSin]

22. Some of my co-workers figured he's be the type of idiot killed by his own handgun

Owning a gun and keeping it underneath the seat of your crappy camero (not a classic but one of those really bad model years where GM screwed up) doesn't mean you know how to handle fireams.

[Heidi]

12. No. I think it's purely anecdotal and biased observation, assigning human

characteristics to non-human species on the basis of human experience with limited genuine understanding of species outside our own. In any instance, human or non-human, I will say, though, that I sympathize with the smaller animal nipping the animal it perceives as more powerful and threatening, but that's just me. :hi:

[BeachBaby]

16. LOL.

Hey, you! :hi:

You're the exact opposite of me - I have an English Mastiff (Natasha), and when my now ex sister-in-law used to bring her tiny dachsund/chihuahua mix, Roxie, to the house, Roxie would immediately attack Natasha. Natasha would just sit there, staring at her like "What the hell?" I always felt badly for Natasha, sitting there minding her own business, while Roxie gnawed on her leg.

:rofl:

[DarkTirade]

18. I've seen it in a few cases.

[Moondog]

21. Absolutely. Also known as "Little Man Syndrome".

[unpossibles]

23. I've encountered it in men and women

but that is not to imply that anyone under height x has it.

[Ohio Joe]

25. No, I don't

I think that it is a common misconception and stereotype no different then the "Woman in business are all bitches" or any of a bunch of other stereotypes.

[CreekDog]

26. Not until I started working with one particular coworker

5'4" and... :eyes: :banghead:

[TK421]

27. Most definitely yes...it even goes back to grade school

I was one of the tallest kids in my school, and always got picked on by the little kid. Also, I've seen it at bars with little guys and even had a roommate once that was like that..total control freak, that one was.

Yup!