- Causes
- Signs
- Negative impact on life
- Complex in men
- Manifestation in women
- Let's say no to the complex
- Famous short people
- Conclusion
One common complex associated with short stature is called the Napoleon complex. People with this complex are sure that attractiveness, well-being and other success factors depend on height. The Napoleon complex in psychology is described as a set of thoughts and behavior patterns inherent in short people. It got its name thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous French emperor, whose height was around 160 cm.
The Napoleon Complex Haunts Short People
Signs
There are certain signs of self-doubt in both men and women.
- Choosing tall partners. As practice shows, people with Napoleon syndrome choose partners higher than themselves for relationships.
- Demonstration of superiority. Low people try to prove their success to everyone and occupy leadership positions. They assert themselves at the expense of their subordinates.
- Harmfulness. People with Napoleon syndrome are vulnerable and sensitive, so any comment addressed to this person will run into a wall of anger and vindictiveness.
- Craving for large objects. Men with a Napoleonic complex are drawn to large objects: a car, a house, a curvy companion. This is how they try to compensate for the growth.
- Perfectionism. Such people are intolerant of disorder and shortcomings. Any task must be brought to perfection, otherwise the work will not be completed.
- Independence. They don’t allow others to help them, they consider it a pity.
Types of tunnel syndrome
The syndrome can manifest itself in several generally accepted forms.
- In the median nerve:
- carpal tunnel syndrome (carpal tunnel, carpal tunnel);
- pronator syndrome (Seyfarth syndrome, “newlywed (honeymoon, lovers) paralysis");
- supracondylar syndrome (Coulomb, Lord and Bedosier syndrome, Straser's band syndrome).
- In the ulnar nerve:
- Guyon's syndrome (Guyon's bed syndrome, ulnar carpal syndrome, compression-ischemic neuropathy of the distal part of the ulnar nerve);
- cubital syndrome (ulnar tunnel syndrome, compression neuropathy of the ulnar nerve in the cubital canal, late ulnar-cubital traumatic palsy).
- In the radial nerve:
- syndrome of compression of the radial nerve in the armpit (“crutch paralysis”);
- syndrome of compression of the radial nerve in the middle of the shoulder (spiral canal syndrome, “Saturday night paralysis”, “park bench”, “bench” syndrome);
- compression syndrome of the radial nerve in the subulnar area (“tennis elbow”, compression neuropathy of the posterior branch of the radial nerve in the subulnar area, supinator syndrome).
Negative impact on life
Napoleon syndrome leads to prolonged depression, lack of desire to communicate with people and lead a social life. The individual considers himself unworthy and lonely. If a person becomes completely withdrawn, thoughts of suicide are possible. The small man complex gives rise to a huge number of stereotypes in men that poison life:
- failure in relationships: men are sure that girls will give preference to a tall candidate over him. Such a stereotype is very stupid, there is no friend to his taste and color, it is important to understand that height will not prevent you from finding the love of your life;
- bad lover: many short men worry that they will not be able to satisfy a woman, but height and success in this matter are in no way interconnected;
- short people are weak: physical development and muscle gain do not depend on height - only training and physical activity influence this factor.
A short man is sure that others see him as weak
Is it really that bad? ↑
Good news for short men. Modern scientists have given them "amnesty" from the ingrained public opinion: a short person is more aggressive. They proved that taller men are more prone to this destructive feeling.
Are past feelings keeping you from moving on? Read about how to overcome the fear of new relationships. Read about the nature of fear in the article.
Feeling afraid for no reason, what could it be? Read here.
10 short and 10 tall men were selected for the Air Force program at the University of Central Lancashire. They were asked to test their physical abilities and reaction speed; during the exercise, cardiac monitors recorded the level of aggression.
The participants fenced with sticks across the table, one of them deliberately trying to hit the other on the fingers. As a result of this game, it was revealed that tall men are more aggressive.
The scientist who led the study, Dr Michael Esley, said that “small man syndrome” is a myth. And the aggression of a short person in society is associated with height because he is the first thing that catches the eye.
Studying public opinion, researchers came to the conclusion: today, 80 percent of people, despite the fact that the myth has been dispelled, believe in the increased aggressiveness of short men. It has also not been proven that they earn less and are less liked by women than their tall rivals.
Complex in men
Napoleon syndrome occurs in men and is characterized by complexes about their height. The complex puts pressure on a man’s psyche and affects relationships, awareness of himself and the world, and success at work. Men worry that because of their “baseness” they will not have a companion, and they become insecure. Worried about growth, they forget that women are attracted to the self-confidence that they have lost due to internal self-examination.
As the girls note, how tall a man is is not important to them. They are attracted by their charisma, confidence and radiant smile.
Manifestation in women
The Napoleon complex in women is not inherent to the fair half. Small stature is a pride for a girl. It is generally accepted that girls with short stature look prettier and attract more men. Short girls can wear high-heeled shoes without any problems. Tall girls cannot afford such a luxury; they have every chance of being taller than their companion.
You want to protect short girls and protect them from all problems. However, some young ladies say that they are annoyed by the increased care and loyalty towards them.
Heels look perfect on short girls
Let's say no to the complex
If you have discovered a Napoleon complex in yourself, you need to get rid of it urgently:
- the first step on the path to inner harmony will be accepting yourself and your uniqueness - this indicator cannot be changed and therefore you need to love it;
- understand that success does not depend on external indicators, but on hard work;
- you can resort to visual tricks: clothes with vertical stripes make the figure appear longer;
- heels and platforms will save you - this item is more intended for women, but special platform shoes are also made for men;
- watch your figure: short and overweight people look even shorter than they are, muscle mass allows you to look larger;
- don’t slouch: healthy and beautiful posture allows you to appear taller and more attractive;
- choose a role model: there are many great people in the world who are not tall;
- don't pay attention to sarcastic people who constantly point out your height.
If self-analysis and therapy do not help, you should contact a psychologist who will sort out your Napoleon complex and help you get rid of it.
Our society also needs to change. There is no need for radical action, everyone should start with themselves. It is important for people to learn to treat themselves and others with respect.
Due to constant ridicule in society, people develop insecurity and complexes. If everyone evaluates the effect of their words before expressing them, then there will be much less psychological trauma.
Why growth?
The men's world before, and even now, has always been based on aggression. Attack, dominance, suppression in the world, physical, intellectual or social, imply large dimensions. When you see an ordinary cat in front of you, don’t worry, because even with claws and quick reaction, the most it will do is scratch.
It's another matter if there is a tiger in front of you. It's the same cat, but it's bigger, faster, and more agile than you, and the damage it will cause may be too serious.
In the physical world, size always matters. This is one of the signs of intimidation. And since men still instinctively compare themselves physically with potential competitors, being small is clearly not going to add points to them on the battlefield. If you are two meters tall, then girls pay attention to you and even with mediocre physical fitness you seem stronger than short men.
Low stature seems to signal that the opponent has nothing to fear. After all, if he is so low, then he doesn’t have much strength.
Today all this has little to do with reality. Height does not indicate social superiority, physical strength, or intelligence. But somewhere at the level of instincts, stereotypes persist and force us to look for other ways to assert ourselves.
Famous short people
If you still firmly believe that success depends on height, then here is a list of short people who are famous all over the world. Once you get acquainted with it, the Napoleonic complex comes second.
- Angus Young, singer and guitarist of the famous rock band AC/DC, is famous for his talent and crazy energy. Angus's height is 157 cm.
- Spud Webb is a famous guard for the NBA basketball team. Height 170 cm is the shortest for a basketball career, but the basketball player proved that this is far from the main criterion.
- Danny DeVito, 150 cm tall, became famous throughout the world thanks to his acting, directing and producing abilities.
- Tom Cruise is a Hollywood actor. He achieved fame and became a sex symbol with a height of 170 cm.
- Robert Downey Jr. Widely known to everyone for his role as Iron Man. He amazed everyone with his acting and made a fortune with his height of 169 cm.
- Mary-Kate Olsen is an actress, young designer and 157 cm tall.
- Kristen Bell is an excellent actress and is only 155 cm tall.
- Eva Longoria. She made a revolution in the world of the modeling industry. While all short girls dreamed of a modeling career, Eva, with a height of 157 cm, became one of the most popular models.
- Natalie Portman is an outstanding actress and is active in charity work. The girl's height is 160 cm.
These are just a few of the short people who have achieved success. This once again proves the fact that height does not affect success. Success is a concept that is determined by your work and efforts.
Psychology of teenage crisis
The main reason for the development of a crisis in adolescence is a significant gap between the physiological and social, emotional maturation of the individual. As we have already said, physiological growth during this period exceeds the rate of mental development as much as possible.
Physiologically, a teenager becomes an adult, mature person in a short period of time. Outwardly, yesterday's child looks like an adult, begins to feel like one, but is not yet fully ready for independence and responsibility. Social maturation takes much longer.
As a result of such a gap, conflicts with adults arise. The child wants to feel free and independent, but in reality he still cannot cope with serious responsibility. Conflicts and misunderstandings arise on this basis. The personality of a teenager changes so much that sometimes it seems that the child has simply been replaced.
Puberty is expressed not only at the physiological, but also at the mental level. Moreover, the mental aspects of puberty can arise much earlier than physical maturation. Adolescents undergo gender identification and orientation and begin to perceive themselves and others according to gender. Scientists agree that gender identification occurs to a greater extent under the influence of sociocultural factors than biological ones. The decisive role is played by the patterns and stereotypes operating in society.
During the same period, romanticism developed - the desire for emotional intimacy. Teenagers begin relationships that involve spending time together and having intimate conversations. The first love appears. In this case, physical intimacy is not obligatory; the platonic context comes to the fore, and only then the sexual one.
Taking into account all the psychological changes occurring in a teenager, a crisis is necessary to solve a number of problems. As a result of successfully overcoming this developmental leap, the teenager:
- undergoes gender identification, takes on a male or female role;
- accepts his appearance with all changes;
- changes the form of communication with others: parents, peers, etc.;
- accepts a new style of relationships, transforms from a child into an equal, responsible member of society with mature behavior;
- develops interests, finds directions for developing their abilities, and subsequent professional guidance.