Overlooking The Perfect Man: 5 Science-Backed Reasons Shorter Men Lead To Happily Ever After

Overlooking The Perfect Man: 5 Science-Backed Reasons Shorter Men Lead To Happily Ever After

The prince charming that may lead you to happily ever after may just be under 5-foot-9

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Most women can describe the perfect man in three words: tall, dark, and handsome. Height is perceived as a show of capability, strength, and power, which in theory makes a woman's ideal mate. However, women who decide to tip the scales in favor of shorter guys are not getting the shorter end of the stick.

The average American man, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 5-foot-9, 195.5 pounds, and has a waist circumference of 39.7 inches. Still, many women scoff at the idea of dating shorter men, dismissing their other attributes, especially in New York City. The likelihood of a man under 5-foot-9 being contacted by a Manhattan or Bronx woman online is a scant 1.2 percent, with Brooklyn coming in with a paltry 2.4 percent response rate, according to a study conducted by the dating site AYI.com, which analyzed 50,000 interactions over two months.

Women's preference for taller men stems from an evolutionary perspective that taller men generally tend to be healthier and better providers. The reasoning behind why our ape-like human ancestors began walking upright and why women like taller men has to do with the cavemen days. Men who were first to be upright on two feet had an advantage over those stuck on all fours, meaning they could hit harder and hit downward, giving standing men a clear advantage, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. For women, it wasn't about winning a fight but about who could defend the resources and family.

Despite the influence evolution has had on our natural preferences, it's time to go against the odds and see why dating shorter men may actually lead to happily ever after.

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