Little man complex: signs of Napoleon syndrome

In psychology, there is a separate concept - the Napoleon complex. In this case, we are not at all talking about the fact that all brilliant people are abnormal in their own way. This indicates the aggressive desire of small people to demonstrate their superiority. Men's feelings about short stature, as a rule, are formed in the form of a painful inferiority complex.

Signs

There are certain signs of self-doubt in both men and women.

1. Choosing tall partners. As practice shows, people with Napoleon syndrome choose partners higher than themselves for relationships.
2. Demonstration of superiority. Low people try to prove their success to everyone and occupy leadership positions. They assert themselves at the expense of their subordinates.
3. Harmfulness. People with Napoleon syndrome are vulnerable and sensitive, so any comment addressed to this person will run into a wall of anger and vindictiveness.
4. Craving for large objects. Men with a Napoleonic complex are drawn to large objects: a car, a house, a curvy companion. This is how they try to compensate for the growth.
5. Perfectionism. Such people are intolerant of disorder and shortcomings. Any task must be brought to perfection, otherwise the work will not be completed.
6. Independence. They don’t allow others to help them, they consider it a pity.

What to do? ↑

If you have discovered symptoms of a Napoleonic complex in yourself, you should especially listen to the advice of psychologists:

1. Accept and love yourself in the form in which nature created you. Growth will not increase or decrease due to the power of desire, it is unchangeable. You need to accept this and stop getting upset.
2. Trust others who admire your growth . Believe me, many tall people would like to lose a few centimeters and to them you really seem like an attractive person.
3. If you want to look taller, watch your diet . With short stature, even a couple of kilograms will be noticeable. Overweight people seem even more squat. In addition, flaws on a small figure are more obvious.
4. Women should wear long beads , vertical stripes, v-necks, and men should wear thin belts and ties. These details visually elongate the figure.
5. Men appear taller with short hair ; long hair steals centimeters of height, hiding the neck.
6. It is extremely important to walk without slouching and with a straight back . By bending slightly, you can lose up to 10 centimeters of height.
7. Wear heels.
8. Indulge in auto-training . Remember that short people live longer lives and get sick less often. Men and women have strong sexuality. “A small dog is a puppy until old age,” but a spool is expensive, regardless of its size.

Negative impact on life

Napoleon syndrome leads to prolonged depression, lack of desire to communicate with people and lead a social life. The individual considers himself unworthy and lonely. If a person becomes completely withdrawn, thoughts of suicide are possible. The small man complex gives rise to a huge number of stereotypes in men that poison life:

• failure in relationships: men are sure that girls will give preference to a tall candidate over him. Such a stereotype is very stupid, there is no friend to his taste and color, it is important to understand that height will not prevent you from finding the love of your life;
• bad lover: many short men worry that they will not be able to satisfy a woman, but height and success in this matter are in no way interconnected;
• short people are weak: physical development and muscle gain do not depend on height - only training and physical activity influence this factor.

A short man is sure that others see him as weak

Is it really that bad? ↑

Good news for short men. Modern scientists have given them "amnesty" from the ingrained public opinion: a short person is more aggressive. They proved that taller men are more prone to this destructive feeling.

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10 short and 10 tall men were selected for the Air Force program at the University of Central Lancashire. They were asked to test their physical abilities and reaction speed; during the exercise, cardiac monitors recorded the level of aggression.

The participants fenced with sticks across the table, one of them deliberately trying to hit the other on the fingers. As a result of this game, it was revealed that tall men are more aggressive.

The scientist who led the study, Dr Michael Esley, said that “small man syndrome” is a myth. And the aggression of a short person in society is associated with height because he is the first thing that catches the eye.

Studying public opinion, researchers came to the conclusion: today, 80 percent of people, despite the fact that the myth has been dispelled, believe in the increased aggressiveness of short men. It has also not been proven that they earn less and are less liked by women than their tall rivals.

Complex in men

Napoleon syndrome occurs in men and is characterized by complexes about their height. The complex puts pressure on a man’s psyche and affects relationships, awareness of himself and the world, and success at work. Men worry that because of their “baseness” they will not have a companion, and they become insecure. Worried about growth, they forget that women are attracted to the self-confidence that they have lost due to internal self-examination.

As the girls note, how tall a man is is not important to them. They are attracted by their charisma, confidence and radiant smile.

Distinctive characteristics of people with a Napoleon complex

Any complex is always a mental deviation, so you can’t just let it all take its course and wait for it to go away on its own. If only simply because nothing ever goes away on its own.

People who are susceptible to this complex have common symptoms:

• the desire to assert oneself in society at any cost;
• imposing one’s point of view as the only correct one;
• painful pride;
• vindictiveness and rancor;
• perfectionism;
• increased demands on oneself and others;
• the desire to surround oneself with large and expensive things;
• choosing a disproportionately tall person as a companion.

Manifestation in women

The Napoleon complex in women is not inherent to the fair half. Small stature is a pride for a girl. It is generally accepted that girls with short stature look prettier and attract more men. Short girls can wear high-heeled shoes without any problems. Tall girls cannot afford such a luxury; they have every chance of being taller than their companion.

You want to protect short girls and protect them from all problems. However, some young ladies say that they are annoyed by the increased care and loyalty towards them.

Heels look perfect on short girls

Why you need to fight the complex

One can understand the man’s attempts to hide his shortcomings behind social success. As mentioned above, no one will care about your appearance if you are successful in sports, business or anything else. But in trying to disguise his shortcomings, a person gets away from the essence - he is so ashamed of his shortcomings that he becomes bitter against the whole world, even if the opponent does not pose a threat.

Napoleon was so carried away by victories that he lost touch with reality, starved his army and led the country into decline. The veil of vanity covered his eyes so tightly that he did not notice his own fall into the abyss. But it’s one thing to destroy yourself, it’s another thing to destroy everything around you.

Men with a Napoleon complex are despotic, overly aggressive and extremely vindictive. The worst thing is that they take it out mainly on the weaker - on subordinates, on women and even children - on all those who cannot resist them.

For some time, aggression towards a weaker opponent relieves Napoleon of the pangs of his own insolvency, but this will not last long. Next time he will need more power, more proof of his own superiority, which means he will become more cruel and despotic.

A healthy way out of the Napoleon complex is to realize your own shame for your shortcomings. Usually, in early childhood, Napoleon receives a deep trauma of humiliation. Having healed over the years, the injury constantly reminds him that his shortcomings need to be masked. If you don't do this, you may be offended. This forces Napoleon to always remain on guard, remain aggressive and act proactively before the enemy has time to deliver a humiliating blow. True, it mainly goes only to the weaker, but this is enough to dull the painful compulsion.

Ideally, a man should do everything to accept his shortcomings as they are. This requires a certain wisdom, patience and courage, but ultimately spiritual growth allows you to come to inner peace.

Everyone has flaws. Some have more, some have less. French actor Louis de Funes is only 164 cm tall, but this did not stop him from becoming a world-recognized cinema star, but supposedly only beautiful, tall and slender people are allowed into show business. But even fingers are not enough to count how many actors with obviously mediocre appearance and short stature have achieved incredible success.

Let's say no to the complex

If you have discovered a Napoleon complex in yourself, you need to get rid of it urgently:

• the first step on the path to inner harmony will be accepting yourself and your uniqueness - this indicator cannot be changed and therefore you need to love it;
• understand that success does not depend on external indicators, but on hard work;
• you can resort to visual tricks: clothes with vertical stripes make the figure appear longer;
• heels and platforms will save you - this item is more intended for women, but special platform shoes are also made for men;
• watch your figure: short and overweight people look even shorter than they are, muscle mass allows you to look larger;
• don’t slouch: healthy and beautiful posture allows you to appear taller and more attractive;
• choose a role model: there are many great people in the world who are not tall;
• don't pay attention to sarcastic people who constantly point out your height.

If self-analysis and therapy do not help, you should contact a psychologist who will sort out your Napoleon complex and help you get rid of it.

Our society also needs to change. There is no need for radical action, everyone should start with themselves. It is important for people to learn to treat themselves and others with respect.

Due to constant ridicule in society, people develop insecurity and complexes. If everyone evaluates the effect of their words before expressing them, then there will be much less psychological trauma.

Why growth?

The men's world before, and even now, has always been based on aggression. Attack, dominance, suppression in the world, physical, intellectual or social, imply large dimensions. When you see an ordinary cat in front of you, don’t worry, because even with claws and quick reaction, the most it will do is scratch.

It's another matter if there is a tiger in front of you. It's the same cat, but it's bigger, faster, and more agile than you, and the damage it will cause may be too serious.

In the physical world, size always matters. This is one of the signs of intimidation. And since men still instinctively compare themselves physically with potential competitors, being small is clearly not going to add points to them on the battlefield. If you are two meters tall, then girls pay attention to you and even with mediocre physical fitness you seem stronger than short men.

Low stature seems to signal that the opponent has nothing to fear. After all, if he is so low, then he doesn’t have much strength.

Today all this has little to do with reality. Height does not indicate social superiority, physical strength, or intelligence. But somewhere at the level of instincts, stereotypes persist and force us to look for other ways to assert ourselves.

Famous short people

If you still firmly believe that success depends on height, then here is a list of short people who are famous all over the world. Once you get acquainted with it, the Napoleonic complex comes second.

1. Angus Young, singer and guitarist of the famous rock band AC/DC, is famous for his talent and crazy energy. Angus's height is 157 cm.
2. Spud Webb is a famous guard for the NBA basketball team. Height 170 cm is the shortest for a basketball career, but the basketball player proved that this is far from the main criterion.
3. Danny DeVito, 150 cm tall, became famous throughout the world thanks to his acting, directing and producing abilities.
4. Tom Cruise is a Hollywood actor. He achieved fame and became a sex symbol with a height of 170 cm.
5. Robert Downey Jr. Widely known to everyone for his role as Iron Man. He amazed everyone with his acting and made a fortune with his height of 169 cm.
6. Mary-Kate Olsen is an actress, young designer and 157 cm tall.
7. Kristen Bell is an excellent actress and is only 155 cm tall.
8. Eva Longoria. She made a revolution in the world of the modeling industry. While all short girls dreamed of a modeling career, Eva, with a height of 157 cm, became one of the most popular models.
9. Natalie Portman is an outstanding actress and is active in charity work. The girl's height is 160 cm.

These are just a few of the short people who have achieved success. This once again proves the fact that height does not affect success. Success is a concept that is determined by your work and efforts.

Historical reference

It is no coincidence that this complex bears the name of the great French emperor - from history we know that Napoleon Bonaparte was short (only 162 centimeters), but this did not stop him from conquering all of Europe.

The Austrian scientist Alfred Adler, who was engaged in research on the topic of high levels of aggressiveness in short people, first became interested in these facts. This theory has both followers and opponents, but the term remains in active use today.

Who are Napoleons

People suffering from the Napoleon complex strive with all their might to stand out through professionalism, erudition, humor, sociability, and talent. They try to show off their intelligence, realizing that their height (and large muscles) “failed.” If they fail to attract maximum attention to themselves, they suffer greatly, become depressed and despair, because they associate physical growth with visibility and think that they are not noticed.

Most often, the Napoleon complex occurs in men, because for them physical indicators come first. In addition, men are often captive of prejudices that women look up to men, evaluate them in this way, and like a man to be taller than themselves. Actually this is not true.

“Napoleons” are characterized by perfectionism and demands on themselves. At the same time, they are often intrusive - after all, they need to prove their importance to everyone. They are very easy to offend, they are proud, vindictive and do not like criticism addressed to them. But at the same time, they do not tolerate indulgence for themselves; they prefer to solve all problems on their own. Their sharp mind allows them to find solutions where ordinary people do not see them. Another feature of the “Napoleons” is their love for everything big and majestic: they buy a large car, an impressive house, an office; They choose tall people as friends. This also shows an attempt to compensate for short stature.

Literature, films and cartoons feature brilliant and at the same time mad scientists who are trying to take over the world. They invent superweapons, unique chemical compositions, etc., creating a global catastrophe out of all this. And most often they are depicted as short people, or even dwarfs. Such works of popular culture support the myth that little people are cruel and insanely bloodthirsty. In reality, “Napoleons” are rarely truly evil; more often they are kind, although demanding. Cruelty is unprofitable for them, because they are drawn to people and are dependent on communication: “Napoleons” need to attract people to themselves by all means.

Napoleon complex or... Korais?

Many believe that Napoleon Bonaparte was short, which explains his ambition and desire to conquer the world. People around him even called him “our little corporal.” However, in reality, the height of the “little corporal” was above average: 169 cm. Kutuzov’s height was almost the same – 172 cm. Why did the legend about Napoleon's short stature spread? One explanation for this is that the soldiers and officers of his army wore lush outfits with high plumes, which visually added centimeters to them; Napoleon himself dressed simply, so against the background of his dressed-up subordinates he seemed small. Another explanation is that Napoleon was shorter than some of his contemporary rulers, in particular Alexander I. The Russian Tsar at that time was considered a giant - as much as 183 centimeters. It is clear that in the Russian court environment Napoleon was ridiculed precisely as a “little” ruler.

However, there was a man in Napoleon's circle named Adamantios Korais. This is a Greek scientist and educator who trusted France and hoped that Napoleon would help Greece, which had just gained independence. One of Korais's works is a translation of Strabo into French. The scientist presented this book to Napoleon at a ceremony. When Napoleon saw Korais heading towards him, he almost died laughing: the height of the Greek scientist was... about 1 meter. It was a real dwarf. He was dressed in a dress uniform designed for a tall man, and every now and then he tripped over a sword tied to his belt.

So it would be more correct to call this disease “Korais complex.” True, Korais himself did not suffer from an exaggerated desire to take over the world.

The rise of the world's dictators also does not support the idea that short stature is somehow connected with cruelty and bloodthirstiness. Mussolini was 169 cm tall, like Napoleon. Hitler and Stalin were 173 and 174 cm tall, respectively. Below all of them was, for example, Winston Churchill (167 cm), who could not be called a dictator.

Battle formations of the French troops

The infantry
was formed in columns, loose formation (a chain of riflemen) and deployed formation with a depth of two and three ranks. A square was used against cavalry. The infantry was lined up in battalions (battalion columns; battalions deployed in a line). The battalion was a tactical unit.

Cavalry

was built in deployed lines and columns. Scattered formation was used by light cavalry. It was located in battle formation separately in one or another section of the position.

Artillery

was located in advantageous positions in front, in the gaps of the first line of infantry and cavalry, and at particularly important points with the aim of shelling the enemy with concentrated fire. Sometimes there were batteries of 100 or more guns. The batteries were covered with parapets. The battery sites were artificially elevated above the terrain ahead in order to fire at the enemy in all directions.

Order of battle

divisions of the corps of Soult and Bernadotte before the Battle of Austerlitz (1805) was next. Each brigade of the division (a brigade consisted of two regiments, a division - of two brigades) was formed: in the first line, the battalions of the first regiment in a deployed formation (three-ranked formation) with riflemen in a loose formation in front; in the second line are the battalions of the second regiment, formed in columns. If the division also had a fifth regiment, then its battalions were built in columns and formed a reserve. A squadron or division of cavalry was located in 3a brigades. Artillery was placed in the intervals between the regiments of the first line and on their flanks.

With linear tactics

Long continuous lines of infantry were lined up on the battlefield with cavalry on the flanks. During shock tactics, corps and divisions in columns were secretly located behind villages or hills.

The troops forming the deployed rifle lines and loose formation formed the first echelon. They, together with the artillery, started a battle and fought it until the battalion columns entered the battle. If linear tactics were based on the simultaneous deployment and use of all or almost all of the infantry, then with shock tactics a relatively small part of the infantry began the battle - the main forces were in the second echelon. The battle was fueled from the depths by the introduction of fresh troops and strong reserves - guards and cavalry.

Column

was the main striking force. The battalions deployed in line, together with the voltigeurs, formed the first rifle line and fired volleys. If necessary, these battalions formed columns (or squares) or scattered and, together with the voltigeurs, operating in a scattered formation, fired aimed fire. Voltigeurs also, if necessary, had to be built in squares (against cavalry attacks) and in columns.

The cavalry provided the flanks and rear, and at the right moment rushed at the enemy.

Napoleon's desire to act in large columns became a kind of mania after the 1807 campaign. He was the first to introduce formations in columns of truly monstrous proportions, which were composed of entire divisions of infantry (under Wagram) or cavalry (under Eckmühl).

Artillery

Napoleon made a weapon of hitherto unheard of power. French artillery had great maneuverability on the battlefield. The artillery reserve was a powerful means of achieving victory.

PSYCHOLOGY OF LIFE +

How would you expand on the concept of the Napoleon complex? Despite the serious faces of supporters of the theory of its existence, the true definition in the dictionary would look like this: “A fashionable phrase used by amateur psychologists to explain the desire of short people to achieve career heights and self-improvement, as well as a tendency to aggression, tyranny and power.” For many, the Napoleon complex is an explanation for all the problems and at the same time all the achievements of low people. But does the Napoleon complex really exist?

In the minds of the majority, an unjustified image of an evil dwarf is stuck, ready to bite the legs of tall people, humiliate women and destroy nations just because they are taller than him. At the same time, Lenin (164 cm), Stalin (162 cm), Tamerlane (145 cm) are mentioned - really short men who left not the best mark on history. But what can you say about the reasons for despotism in the character of Osama Bin Laden (194 cm) or Saddam Hussein (188 cm)? Why did the preacher of peace and love, Mahatma Gandhi, who was only 164 centimeters tall, not become a tyrant, but take a completely opposite path? Let's remember the great actors who brought so much goodness and laughter into the world - Charlie Chaplin (165 cm), Jammel Debbouze (165 cm), Louis de Funes (164 cm). What kind of tyrants are they? Something doesn't add up...

Are short men aggressive?

No and no again. An experiment was conducted at the University of Central Lancashire to identify aggression in short men. During the experiment, participants were divided into pairs, given chopsticks in their hands and asked to “fence” with them, supposedly to determine dexterity and reaction. In reality, one of the partners was asked to specifically hit the fingers of the second participant during the fight. A more aggressive reaction was noted in tall men, while short ones reacted more restrained.

From this it follows that the “Napoleon complex” not only does not exist, but also discriminates against little people, accusing them of increased aggression, despotism and the desire for self-affirmation at the expense of others, which they actually do not possess.

Was Napoleon low?

The joke is that even the name of the complex is untenable. Napoleon was not short. Some sources indicate the very tiny height of the great commander - 151 centimeters. But if you carefully read the literature, you will find that the numbers are different everywhere, and that with the growth of the emperor there was a lot of confusion. When His Majesty died, his height was measured and recorded: 5 feet 2 inches. They just forgot to point out that feet and inches are French, and they are shorter than English ones. So for some time they converted French feet to English standards, until they realized that since the emperor lived in France, they measured him accordingly. When the error was corrected, it turned out that Napoleon's height was 5 feet and 6.5 English inches, that is, 169 centimeters. During the reign of Napoleon, that is, in the early 1800s, the average height of a man was 164 centimeters. It turns out that Bonaparte was even taller than many Frenchmen. Researchers believe that the myth about the short stature of the commander appeared due to the fact that in the paintings he is depicted surrounded by grenadiers of the imperial guard, which included hefty young men no less than 178 centimeters tall. For that time they were real big guys. Therefore, when talking about psychological complexes associated with short stature, it is better to call them something else. And leave the long-suffering Napoleon alone.

Napoleon complex in women...

...this is pure fiction. For most representatives of the fair sex, short stature is more of a reason for pride, rather than a reason for grief. If we talk about women’s complexes, it is better to remember Peter the Great, who was more than two meters tall. And all because the ideal of a woman for most of human history presupposed miniature, grace, and fragility.

Mentioning the Napoleon complex in women, experts begin to list famous show business stars such as Shakira (150 cm), Natalya Andreevna from Comedy Woman (152 cm) or Alla Pugacheva (162 cm). It turns out that they achieved everything only because they were not tall enough? Okay, then where did the desire for fame come from among the other, higher famous personalities? What and to whom did Uma Thurman (184 cm), Nicole Kidman (180 cm) and Sigourney Weaver (183 cm) want to prove? Perhaps we should not associate such qualities as growth and determination, growth and ambition, height and beauty...

But problems in the careers of short women do exist. Little ladies are often taken lightly, not perceived as equals - especially by men, who look down on them, literally and figuratively. Little women have to prove again and again that they are no worse than their tall fellow tribesmen. But here we are not talking about the fact that a woman achieved success thanks to her miniature stature, but rather the opposite. It’s the same story with representatives of the stronger sex. For every outstanding short man, there are five equally outstanding tall ones. People become successful not because they are short or tall, but because they dream, go towards their goals and achieve their goals!

Small stature complex

The Napoleon complex in psychology is called differently - the short stature complex. It is not expressed at all in the way that was imposed on us by half-educated psychologists, and is not the cause of a dictatorial character or a desire to achieve fame.

The short stature complex begins to manifest itself in childhood - when a boy is last in line, when he is teased by classmates who have managed to stretch out, when he realizes that he cannot fight back against someone the same age because he is bigger and stronger. The most interesting thing is that this complex takes root very deeply and makes itself felt even after the guy grows up, surpassing his peers. Yes, a man who is 185 centimeters tall may well suffer from a short stature complex. Sometimes this problem can manifest itself in quite ordinary boys of average height who feel that they are not tall enough.

What does the short stature complex lead to?

It provokes depression, reluctance to communicate with people, a feeling of powerlessness and despair. People with such an attitude find it difficult to adapt in life; they feel that they are not capable of anything, that they do not have a brilliant future. The sad thing is that the short stature complex is in most cases instilled in others. The coach says - where should you go in for sports, you’re undersized? The girl arrogantly turns away in response to an invitation to go to the cinema. School bullies can easily catch a guy behind garages and beat him up simply because he is short. And how many poisonous witticisms do little people hear in their direction?

Each of them decides for himself which path to take - someone becomes a victim of the complex and remains a loser for the rest of his life. Many become embittered, become aggressive, and try to suppress high-ranking people with the help of other resources - money and connections. But there are many who overcome the complex of short stature, treat their size with humor and do not lose heart in the face of difficulties that they will have to fight for the rest of their lives. Little people will have to prove every day that they are smart, hardworking and responsible enough for their position. They will have to prove this much more often than tall colleagues with the same exact personal qualities. And this is the paradox. In most cases, it is not people with a short stature complex who achieve success, but people who have overcome it.

How to deal with the short stature complex?

I think society needs to fight it first of all. If those around them had not ridiculed them, had not said that it was impossible to achieve anything with such height, had not considered short people defective since childhood, they would hardly have suffered from this complex. Most of them worry not because of the very fact of their short stature, but because of the attitude of others.

If each of us learns to restrain unflattering comments towards short men, teaches children to treat everyone with respect, regardless of physical characteristics, and to put personal qualities first, not beauty or height, we will get rid of not only the so-called “Napoleon complex” , and from many others.

Those for whom nature has not measured enough height can only be advised not to pay attention to fools. After all, a person’s value lies not in growth, but in spiritual content - kindness, hard work, responsibility and many other qualities, the presence of which depends only on himself.

source https://constructorus.ru/

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