The Facebook Dilemma

Heightism

post #1

05-26-2021 at 06:23 am

You've all lived it: you're scrolling along on Facebook and one of your friends has posted a meme slamming short people. For me this morning it was a triple whammy: One post was "You've gotta hand it to short people...'cause they can't reach it." Then came a photo posted by my high school classmate who was 6'6" and a basketball "hero": a basketball friend of his who is 6'9", and the comments like "WOW. I thought you were tall." and then a photo of my son and his high school chums from nine years ago, and all the gushing comments about one of his buddies who is also 6'9": "Look at him, he's so tall...."

So, here's the deal, guys: Don't comment. Just don't. We can't say anything publicly without making it worse. On a public forum like Facebook, silence is your biggest ally. Here's why: Once you say something, everyone else feels compelled to jump in and it becomes a discussion that only make it worse. You'll get trite comments from a well-meaning old woman like "Good things come in small packages." and you'll get slammed by big guys who just add insult to injury: "Just get over it, hunh? Stop whining."

So, if you feel insulted by something, here's my advice: private message the friend who posted it and politely, firmly point out to them that you found it hurtful, not funny. You might mention that it is socially unacceptable to tease people about being fat (which they can change if they try), but that short people, especially men, are still considered open game by others. It's rude, hurtful, and totally unnecessary. I did that once, and the friend deleted it and apologized saying that she had never thought about it that way. We're still good friends. I handled it privately in a calm, mature way. That's our best choice.

Don't unfriend anyone.

Don't take the bait.

Don't return insult for insult.

Above all, don't let their boneheaded post ruin your day. Your good friends and family love you for who you are, what you do, and how you treat them. They respect you when you accomplish things in life, despite being short which puts you at a distinct disadvantage all the time.

And just keep scrolling.

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