Short men have psychopathic and narcissistic tendencies to help them appear powerful, study finds

With #ShortKingSpring trending on social media earlier this year, it seems that the trope of “tall, dark, and handsome” for the perfect guy has finally run out.

Heartthrobs Joe Jonas and Tom Holland, both 5’8″, are often seen proudly strutting the red carpet with their taller significant others of Sophie Turner and Zendaya.

However, scientists from the University of Wrocław in Poland say those looking for a partner with a vertical challenge should exercise caution.

They found that shorter men tend to show more narcissistic tendencies in order to appear more powerful.

Heartthrobs Joe Jonas and Tom Holland, both 5’8″, often proudly walk the red carpet with their taller significant others of Sophie Turner and Zendaya. However, scientists at the University of Wrocław in Poland say those looking for a vertically challenged partner may need to proceed with caution Left: Tom Holland, who is 5ft 7in tall, with his girlfriend Zendaya, who is 5ft 7in. Right: Joe Jonas, who is 5ft 7in, with his wife Sophie Turner also 1.70 meters tall

Lead author Monika Kozłowska said, “If people cannot be physically formidable, they can instead become psychologically formidable” (stock image)

Lead author Monika Kozłowska said: ‘If people cannot be physically formidable, they can become psychologically formidable instead.

Shorter people with traits like psychopathy can use them to command respect, impose costs on others, and impress romantic partners.

“Appearing more powerful can in turn make other people see them as taller than they actually are.”

Published for her research in Elsevier journal Personality and individual differencesMs Kozłowska investigated the so-called ‘Napoleon complex’.

This is a dominant or aggressive attitude of shorter people, which compensates for their lack of height and feelings of inferiority.

It was named after the French commander Napoleon Bonaparte, who was reported to be either 5’2″ or 5’7″ in various historical accounts, and was derided by British newspapers for his height during the French Revolution.

He was also portrayed as an angry man who sought power and war from his enemies, and his perceived smaller stature was related to these characteristics.

Ms. Kozłowska wanted to see if there was a link between men who were considered smaller than average and who showed the “Dark Triad” personality traits.

These are psychopathy, characterized by a lack of empathy and antisocial behavior; narcissism, a self-centered personality style; and Machiavellianism, manipulation and indifference to morality.

The ‘Napoleon complex’ is named after the French commander Napoleon Bonaparte (pictured), who was said to have been either 5’2″ or 5’7″ in various historical accounts

Napoleon was mocked by British newspapers for his height during the French Revolution, and it was associated with his anger and lust for power. Pictured: An 1803 illustration promoting the idea that Napoleon was short

Researchers surveyed 367 men and women using the “Dirty Dozen” Dark Triad Questionnaire, in which participants were asked to what extent they agreed with sentences such as “I tend to manipulate others to get my way.”

From their answers, they each received a score indicating how strongly they exhibited psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism.

Each participant also had to disclose their actual height, as well as how satisfied they were with their height and how often they felt that way.

The results showed that shorter participants of both sexes who wanted to be taller tended to score higher on all three Dark Triad traits.

However, narcissism was particularly strong in male participants in this category, while this trend did not exist in females.

The researchers hypothesize that these associations can be attributed to evolution.

They wrote, “Shorter men can command respect, impose costs on others, acquire resources, and impress romantic partners through their features.

Shorter women can use deceit to appear more attractive or to gain protection and resources.

In addition, appearing more powerful can in turn influence others’ perceptions of one’s estimated height.

“We propose that psychological formidability may provide benefits in survival and mating domains that compensate for losses in physical formidability.”

Men with dark personality traits are more likely to be unfaithful, research shows

If your boyfriend is always talking about how great he is, a new study may encourage you to be wary.

Researchers have revealed that men with darker personality traits — including Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism — are more likely to be cheaters.

The study results also showed that men scored higher than women in both moral detachment and dark personality traits.

“People with dark personality traits are more likely to form short-term relationships because they generally have low expectations of their future partners, especially in the case of men,” say researchers Laura Ferreiros and Miguel Clemente of Universidade da Coruna.

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Researchers have revealed that men with dark personality traits — including Machiavellianism, narcissism, and sadism — are more likely to be repeat cheaters (stock image)