India is a country where the average height of a woman is five feet and that of a man is five-feet six inches. In such a scenario, does height play an important role when one is looking out for a partner, even at a time when women are empowered? Metrolife talks to some people to find out if it is really true.
“It sounds silly but height matters a lot. If you don’t believe me, try looking at all the couples around you. How many female partners are taller than their male counterparts?” asks Abhinav, a marketing professional.
Ideally, irrespective of the society, the man is preferred to be taller than the woman. “It looks good when the guy is a little taller. It could be because sub-consciously, at some level, people still believe in the stereotype of a man being the dominant partner in a relationship,” says Aditi, a professional. “A guy five inches shorter than his girlfriend won’t really strike as powerful,” she adds. People believe that the concept of an ‘ideal couple’ has been deeply fixed in our minds and so is the idea of what looks good.
This is the reason why most people go out with those who are similar in terms of looks and personality.
“It works both ways. Girls won’t date guys who are shorter than them and a boy won’t date a girl who is really taller than him,” says Suha, a student. But with the list of ‘must haves’ in a partner stretching from good looks to personality to interests, not to mention the job profile, are people willing to overlook height if they get everything else in a relationship? “For me, height is not that important. It is the entire personality that matters. But if the girl is six-feet tall, then of course, I would feel awkward going out with her because it would look so lop-sided and weird,” says Abhinav.
“In India, you don’t find so many extraordinarily tall men. So, more often than not, women do end up with men who are similar in height or an inch more or less,” says Aditi. But while everyone thinks height does make some difference, it is love that makes the world go around at the end of the day.
“I would think twice before rejecting a girl solely on the basis of height if I really like her,” says Robin, a student.
“Those things don’t matter so much when you are in love,” he adds.
