5 ms·

My point doesn't relate to whether rural or urban children become taller. Height is largely genetic, and discounting malnutrition it has no bearing on a person'

• Avicebron 4y ago
  I found the opposite when I was in China, I don't think I had much of a social advantage although I didn't speak the language very well at the time.
  • ptoo 4y ago
    That's a good corroboration of my point that height being a positive characteristic is largely cultural/societal and of no true importance as it relates to a person's worth.
    • Avicebron 4y ago
      Fair enough, I was mostly responding to you shoehorning the white thing in there, again, being white in China/Japan isn't a social advantage, because of racism. So we can just table it at "racism" exists and is bad and should be actively discouraged, how about that?
      • ptoo 4y ago
        To me, that's even further evidence that both race and height are totally inconsequential. That fact that these things can bestow social advantages is no reason to view either of them in a positive light. Racism is certainly bad and should be discouraged. Somewhat controversially, apparently, so should heightism.
        • lotsofpulp 4y ago
          Height (and the other attributes that go with it) generally confer an advantage in a physical fight.
          • brandall10 4y ago
            How is that valuable in a modern society that outlaws violence of that nature? Or it is simply that you can physically intimidate people to get an upper hand in situations where such an upper-hand shouldn't be given... just because. How noble. What a useful and admirable trait to encourage.
            • lotsofpulp 4y ago
              I do not make the rules, but I do have to play by them. Even in the most “modern” societies, ask women how often they have felt their relative physical weakness used against them.
            • rajin444 4y ago
              Because laws don’t do you much good when there is nobody around to enforce them. Relying on others to ensure your own life is fine, but being able to defend oneself has obvious advantages.
              • brandall10 4y ago
                Even if no one is around, if you are assaulted, you can file a report and the assailant can go to jail - because by definition, they are now a criminal. There is that deterrent in place, that social constract. Sure it can be violated, but your argument is along a similar line of folks who advocate for open carry.
                • rajin444 4y ago
                  > Even if no one is around, if you are assaulted, you can file a report And if you are killed? There is a strong appeal to reducing the likelihood you will die.
• nitwit005 4y ago
  > Height is largely genetic, and discounting malnutrition it has no bearing on a person's health. But nutrition is what's being measured here. People from poorer countries are on-average shorter, and that is largely driven by diet, although childhood illness is also a factor. The issue isn't height really, it's that people are having their growth stunted. They did not reach the height they would have if they'd gotten better food, better sanitation, etc.