There was a time when it was a social faux pas to date interracially or date the same sex, namely because at one time there were actual laws against it. Now same sex couples are getting married and interracial couples are as common as a sunrise. See Also: Having A Tall Husband Does Not Make For A Happy Marriage While there were never any laws or fear of violence to the magnitude of the aforementioned groups restricting shorter men from marrying or dating whoever they pleased, society's insistence of strictly adhering to gender norms meant and still mean that both parties involved, a taller woman and shorter man would receive constant public scrutiny and ridicule. Just look at Tom Cruise and media coverage of his marriages. The Rules Whether you're a short man (5'5-5'8) or a very short man (5'4 and under), you will find that many women are as tall if not taller than you. So what exactly are you supposed to do, follow society's rules and only date women who are at least 4 inches shorter than you? Of course not. Your dating pool would be extremely small (but at least society will be happy right?). Let's also not forget about the many short women who have stricter height requirements than their taller sistren. Just spend an evening browsing through profiles on Plenty Of Fish and Ok Cupid to confirm. There is no shortage of small women insisting that their men be no less than 12 inches taller than them. You can bypass this meat market crap-fest by being open minded and considering women who are your height or (wait)... taller! Now, you may have some inhibitions, some of which include being rejected by women who are taller than you. Maybe that has happened already, and some of them may have even been harsh. There is something to remember however. Those women who have rejected you (if even they have, because there are plenty of short casanovas out there), are feeling the same social pressures you are to adhere to societal gender norms. Gender Norms Dictate A Lot Of Dating Decisions | Source: Blogger In short, there are plenty of women who will find you attractive the way you are, but fear being judged or ridiculed for not finding (what society thinks is) a 'better' contender. When The Game Is Stacked Against You Society currently has this idea that if you are a short man, you are doomed to be perpetually single and deal with mediocre relationships at best. The media has a lot to do with this. According to television shows, movies and even blogs, 'perfection' begins at or near 6 feet. You have to possess abs of steel, an incredible smile and a six figure salary to round things out. The issue is, only 14% of men make the 6' mark. Only 6% of men (all heights) make over $100K. Now, the amount of men who are over 6' and make six figures? Yeah, pretty small - and then there's the rest of us. So this is where you just have to own who you are and not worry too much about what the media projects. Just as there is a small percentage of women who possess true hourglass shapes, long real silky hair, sizable boobs and a perfect smile, us men span the spectrum of body types. With plus-size women insisting that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes nowadays, us men have to adopt a similar approach (while criticizing the double standard of course. after all what's good for the goose should in theory be good for the gander). Self-assurance along with consistent self-improvement is the most fulfilling path. Those around you will take notice. Beating The System When it comes to dating, we already know what some women are looking for - the exact things that magazines like Cosmopolitan preach in every issue. It is your job then to consider this when approaching. Be alert and avoid the women who march in the "height is the most important thing" parade. This includes the ones who believe "Short Man Syndrome" is a thing (it doesn't exist). You'll waste your time. Your time is as valuable as anyone else's. The challenge is not just finding women who are "okay" with your height, but finding one who is right for you and values more important things, not what other people think of who they're dating. Character matters, whether it be for a long term relationship or even a night of intimate fun. Always pay attention to body language when approaching. It's one of the best ways to assess whether or not the woman you're trying to chat up is open to dating you or has the hots for you. While celebrities are no indication of what plays out in day to day life for us common short folk, the mere fact that plenty of taller celebrities are available for the picking should serve as some indication that height is not the end-all-be-all. Take a short actors like Daniel Radcliffe who is dating Erin Darke, a woman two inches taller than him. They have dated for over two years, and just recently Daniel unveiled her to the world as his girlfriend. They look perfectly happy together. Celebrity Men Dating Tall Women Is A Common Phenomenon | Source: ABC, Wiki Commons Another A list celebrity, recording artist Kendrick Lamar, is also dating someone who is taller than him. He is currently engaged to Whitney Alford who he's been with since high school - over ten years to date. Their wedding date has yet to be announced but it safe to say that they will live happily ever after. Let's face it, in a cut throat industry like the music business, if height was so important to Alford, we can be pretty sure that she would have jumped ship by now if she really felt the need to. See Also: Beware Of The Reformed Heightist Woman We can all sit and say that these guys are celebrities, and they can have any woman they want and I could agree. As mentioned, we have to remember that as attractive women, they likely have plenty of options, but have chosen to date a shorter man and are happy about it. In the case of Kendrick Lamar, a decade is a long time - way before he was a celebrity, and when they met, she was still taller than him. Gender Norms Should Not Dictate Dating Choices | Source: ShortGuyCentral Never use your height as an excuse to limit yourself in the dating game (or anywhere else in life for that matter). Go after the women who you want. If you were 6 feet, there would still be a million other reasons why a woman could reject you. Listen To Your Heart Acknowledge that we currently live in a society where heightism is rampant and that it will affect dating choices, but you can't let that inhibit you, and you should challenge the status quo. Dating after all is a numbers game. If you don't care, when you meet someone else who doesn't care, you'll have them and whatever else in life makes you happy to concentrate on. Anyone who scoffs or has something negative to say about you and your dating choices should be a non-freaking-factor. Your happiness and peace of mind in the end are all that matters. Like This Article? Chat About It And More In Our Forum For Short Men!