22 Reasons Being Tall Isn’t As Fun As It Seems

I’d donate some of my height if I could

I’m 6 foot 5. Not the tallest person in the world. But I’ve lived in East Asia for the past 10 years and I rarely meet anyone the same height.

Many people glorify being tall. Most of my highschool friends wished they were taller. I do appreciate my height, but I’m here to say that being very tall isn’t all its made out to be. I’d personally prefer to be 5 inches shorter.

So I’ve created a list of just some of the drawbacks of being tall for anyone out there envious of tall people.

1. “How tall are you?”

If I had a dollar for every time I got the “How tall are you?” + “Do you play basketball?” combo, I’d probably earn as much as the NBA players. I know people are curious or want to make conversation. But answering the same question over and over again gets tiring.

2. Awkward hugs

I’m used to bending all the way down to hug people. But it gets awkward when I think it’s a hug situation but it turns out to be a handshake situation. Not so easy to play off when you have to almost do a rugby tackle move to hug people.

3. Lame jokes

I appreciate a good joke. But tall people jokes usually consist of people asking me about the ‘air up there’. It was funny the first 12,000 times but after that it got a bit repetitive.

4. Concerts

Yay concerts. I can see over everyone and enjoy the show, right? Well for the most part. When the people behind you can’t see, you feel bad. But you also can’t let everyone shorter in front or you’ll end up in the car park. I’ve had people behind me loudly complain about ‘the tall dude blocking the view’. Not fun.

5. You stand out

You can never blend in with a crowd. If you join a flash mob, you can’t fade into the background with your mediocre rhythm and stiff movement. You stand out like a giraffe in a pigsty.

6. Banging your head

You just bang your head on stuff. Short doorways, MRT handrails, low-hanging lights, the list is endless. Some things just aren’t designed for us.

7. Can’t go on rides

I’ve been denied theme park rides because of my height. Not many things have a height limit but it happens.

8. Back pain

Bad posture isn’t completely down to height, but it doesn’t help. At all.

9. Where the gains at?

I struggle to put on weight as it is. Add height into the equation and gaining 5kg of lean muscle doesn’t make much of a difference compared to everyone else.

10. Back of photos

I can’t remember the last time I was at the front of a group photo. Every single picture I’m a floating head somewhere at the back. Usually with someone trying to tiptoe next to me to look taller.

11. Diagonal sleeping

My bed is the standard size. So I either have to sleep diagonally or have my feet hang over the edge of the bed all night. And don’t get me started on small blankets.

12. Clothes fitting

Because I’m also thin, buying clothes that fit isn’t easy. Sizing in East Asia is a lot smaller so my options are usually XL ( long enough but looks like I’m wearing a tent) or Medium (fits around nicely but short enough to be a crop-top).

13. Washing dishes

Desks are way too low. Sinks are way too low. When washing dishes I have to spread my legs apart into a mini-split to lower my body and avoid slouching too much.

14. Airplanes

I can’t afford first-class seats. Normal airplane legroom isn’t ideal. In addition, many of my flights are on low-cost airlines like Air Asia where my knees have so little space they actually dig into the seat in front.

15. Scared of heights

This may just be me, but I’m scared of heights. And I’m convinced its because my head feels further away from the ground.

16. Showers

Showerheads are way too low. Unless they are the type installed above your head, they usually don’t go above my shoulders. When I lived in Taiwan, I had a special shower installed because I didn’t want to sit on a stool to wash my hair.

17. Driving

I have to collapse my neck to fit in small cars. And driving them often means my knees keep banging the wheel. Long driving sessions mess up my ankle because of the angle of my feet.

18. Blood flow

When I stand up too fast, it takes an extra few seconds for the blood to get to my head, often making me dizzy. It may be petty to blame my height for poor blood circulation but it's true, ok.

19. Selfies

I‘m just bad at taking selfies. But no matter how much I tell people taking a wefie is down to angle and skill, I’m always the default nomination because ‘my arms are longest’.

20. You’re so tall.

I actually need help with this one. Please give me advice on the ideal response to: “You’re so tall!”.

I have tried:

• “Yes, I am!”
• “Haha, yeah” *awkward chuckle*
• “Thank you”
• “What! Really?”
• “You also have a height!”

But I’m yet to find a response that doesn’t make me cringe. Suggestions appreciated.

21. Can’t share umbrellas

When I’m sharing with my wife, it just about works if we cuddle up as we walk and the top of the umbrella is on my head like a hat. But for the average person that I don’t desire bodily contact with, its a no-go.

22. Zero credit for athletic ability

When I play captain ball, volleyball, or water polo, it’s never about my ability. It’s always about my height. I could be the greatest player to ever grace the game and everyone would brush it off as a height advantage. It's helpful for humility but lousy for self-esteem.

And there you have it. Not an exhaustive list by any means but good enough to make a point.

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate my height. As much as I’d like to be shorter, I’m grateful.

There are definitely pros and cons for every height, but that’s what makes life beautiful. You win some and you lose some.

But at least you’re you.