hi illusional - welcome to the discussion. please stay awhile, i think your perspective is quite honest.

i've posted this topic on other message boards in the past, and it usually fuels very heated debate - apparently this issue is just as deep with women as it is with short men.

i have only begun to confront the issue of my height at this late age. as a corrections officer of 16-years, i've excelled in the "tall man's world" by never seeing myself as "less than" any other man. i have not been walking around feeling inferior all these years. this came up for me recently with my decision to seek a female companion, and being dismayed at what i've found in personals, on the internet, etc. i have lived a very challenging, often difficult life, and it appears that when it comes to women, it means nothing - when i walk into the room, i AM seen as "less than" other men...even if i don't feel that way and those other men haven't done half of what i've done.

i have found that there are "communities" of short men, particularly on the internet, dealing with this. i have read long essays from short men who are ceo-level executives making six-figure salaries, who are at the brink of suicide because of this continual social rejection. i understand there may even be a documentary film in the works about this phenomenon.

needless to say, all of this has had a profound effect on me, requiring therapy. all these years i had fooled myself into thinking that the only reason i wasn't with women was because I rejected relationships. i now see that that may have been my own defense against the painful feeling of being "looked past" by women unable/unwilling to take a short man seriously.

one of the things i've felt compelled to do, along with resolving my own dilemna, is to bring this discrimination to public awareness. as a social work student and counselor, i've chosen to make that an eventual focus for my life.

no, women are not "to blame" here. there is apparently a bias against short men in just about every social situation, and all around the world. the most vicious anti-short man material i have seen has originated from africa and asian women.

that is part of the reason i'm doing this. to encourage discussion, gain understanding, possibly get some answers for myself, and increase awareness. please take my posts in that regard, not as anger.

ladies - what do you think of the "tall, dark, handsome" ideal?

have you ever spoken of, or heard other women speak of a "short (anthing else)" man with equal admiration?

have you ever heard of a short man actually being considered preferable (tom cruise doesn't count)?

for the above questions, please disqualify any answer that may include: "...but once i got to know him...".

how do you feel about the man in "joe millionaire"? (that was a particularly hard slap to the aforementioned successful short men)

what do you think of the idea of needing to be with a man who is "taller than you when you're wearing heels"?

thank you for your input, bob k.