"Are you a basketball player?"

"Do you play basketball?"

Every man taller than 1.95 m has heard it hundreds of times.

Then there are those who don't say a word, but whose gaze slowly wanders up to your face. Those who size you up from head to toe. And those who ask you how tall you are even though you've barely said hello to them.

What's fascinating is that this curiosity varies greatly from country to country.

In Portugal, eight years with hardly a word said

For eight years, I traveled regularly to Portugal to have clothing made. There, I met manufacturers, worked with workshops, visited restaurants and hotels, and wandered the streets of various cities.

And one thing has always struck me: almost no one ever commented on my height. No constant remarks. No particularly lingering stares. No routine questions.

The contrast with other countries is striking. Especially with Vietnam.

In Vietnam, several comments a day

In Vietnam, where I work with clothing manufacturers, it's a whole different story. Over there, it's impossible to go unnoticed.

Sometimes I get several comments about my height in a single day. On the street, in stores, at restaurants: people’s reactions can be immediate, and they ask me to take selfies with them. Others smile, exchange a few words, or point at me with a smile.

It can be fun. Sometimes surprising—and, for many adults, a little tiring. Because even when there’s no ill intent, being constantly watched eventually becomes a peculiar experience.

Average size accounts for part of the phenomenon

The first explanation is quite simple: we don't differ that much based on where we are.

International studies on human height, particularly those by the NCD-RisC scientific collaboration published in *The Lancet*, show significant differences among populations. Among 19-year-old men in 2019, average heights were approximately as follows:

Source: NCD-RisC, The Lancet, 2020. The figures are rounded for 19-year-old men in 2019, not for adult men as a whole.

At 1.99 m, I am about 25 cm taller than the average Portuguese man and more than 30 cm taller than the average Vietnamese man. That makes for a considerable visual difference. In the Netherlands, where men are among the tallest in the world, my height naturally stands out less.

But average height alone isn't enough to explain people's reactions. After all, my height of 1.99 m is still unusual in Portugal, and yet I've hardly ever received any comments about it there. So there's probably another factor at play: the way we react to things that are out of the ordinary.

Why does our brain notice very tall people?

In a crowd, our attention is naturally drawn to what stands out. A particularly tall person, an unusual figure, or a striking physical contrast immediately catches the eye.

There is nothing negative about this mechanism: we notice what is different from our usual surroundings.

But there’s an important difference between noticing someone and letting them know you’ve noticed them. You might pass a man who’s 2.10 m tall, think to yourself that he’s very tall, and keep walking. Or you might stop, stare at him, point at him, and ask him how tall he is.

That is precisely where social norms come into play.

Cultural Differences: Curiosity or Discretion?

We all follow social norms, often without even realizing it. In some settings, spontaneously commenting on a physical trait is a natural way to start a conversation. In others, it may seem intrusive.

How others perceive you also depends on the context: a major tourist city, a residential neighborhood, a manufacturing plant, or a village do not elicit the same reactions.

My experiences in Portugal and Vietnam illustrate this diversity. I don't believe that one way of behaving is better than the other. Curiosity can be friendly and sincere. Discretion can be pleasant, but it can also simply reflect a different social norm.

What matters, in the end, is how that curiosity is expressed. There's a difference between being interested in someone and reducing them to a physical trait.

Do tall men naturally inspire authority?

Tall stature is often associated with strength, physical presence, or authority. And this is not just a perception: studies in social psychology have examined the links between height, perceptions of leadership, and professional success. Some research shows that tall people may be perceived as more dominant or better suited to leadership, regardless of their actual skills.

But be careful: a statistical correlation does not mean that a tall man is naturally more competent, braver, or more self-assured. A man who is 2.05 m tall may be shy. A man who is 1.70 m tall may have exceptional natural authority.

Height sometimes influences first impressions. It does not define one's personality. This is one of the paradoxes of being tall: others may attribute qualities to us that we do not necessarily possess.

Is it always nice to be noticed?

You might think that turning heads is always flattering. After all, many people would like to be taller. Height gives you a commanding presence, makes certain interactions easier, and creates a striking silhouette.

But being constantly in the spotlight isn't always a privilege. There are times when we appreciate compliments and spontaneous conversations. And other times when we'd simply like to go unnoticed.

When you're 1.99 meters tall, you can't just leave your height at home. It goes everywhere with you. It's probably one of the most unique experiences for very tall men: our difference is immediately apparent, even before others get to know us.

What Others See, and Who We Are

Ultimately, being tall teaches us something about how others see us. We’re all tempted to notice what stands out from the ordinary. But behind a man who is 2.05 m tall, there is first and foremost a person—with his own personality, history, strengths, and weaknesses.

He isn't necessarily a basketball player. He isn't necessarily stronger, more confident, or more impressive than anyone else. He's just tall.

And for those of us who have always lived with this quirk, it’s often much less extraordinary than it is for those who are just discovering it.

If people are going to be looking at you anyway, you might as well be well-dressed. 👉 Check out our clothing for tall men

Wilfried, 1.99 m, founder of VertigeTall

Sources

• NCD-RisC, The Lancet (2020): Trends in the height of children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories.
• Judge & Cable, “The Effect of Physical Height on Workplace Success and Income,” Journal of Applied Psychology (2004).
• Blaker et al., “The Height Leadership Advantage in Men and Women,” Group Processes & Intergroup Relations (2013).

The studies cited describe statistical trends. They do not allow us to generalize about the behavior of a population or the personality of an individual.