You could sense a shared anxiety in the atmosphere.

As darkness enveloped the landscape, the quiet became almost suffocating. In a world filled with chaos, the lack of sound can be unsettling, leaving us haunted by the fear of the unknown. A complete silence can be disquieting, particularly when there’s a constant threat lurking nearby.

It is the dead of night in 1916. Sleep is elusive.

The First World War is in full swing.

Soon, this silence would be pierced by the thunderous cacophony of machine gun fire. During daylight, clouds of dust envelop the battlefield, obstructing the view of soldiers who huddle together, seeking refuge in the trenches from the relentless barrage of bullets overhead.

Young men, too immature to legally drink, pray silently in unison.

They watch their superiors closely, hoping for commands that would ensure their survival. Some lower-ranking soldiers ponder their fate, often believing that officers receive preferential treatment.

Social status permeates our existence.

Its most visible form can be found in the rigid hierarchy of the military. The military makes the unseen evident. Each soldier’s rank is boldly displayed on their uniform, indicating a chain of command that is rarely questioned.

Yet, another unseen factor plays a role in shaping social status and the survival chances of each soldier in the war. It is a force we seldom consider, yet it follows us wherever we go.

Height.

For the soldiers cramped in that trench, struggling to mask the odors of their decaying comrades and the scent of mustard gas, none realized that their height was impacting their chances of survival.

Similar to the way female beauty influences perception, male height can significantly affect various aspects of our lives in subtle and often troubling ways.

In the decades following the catastrophic loss of life in two World Wars, researchers in the 1940s and 1950s began observing a curious trend in newborns.

This trend is referred to as the Returning Soldier Effect.

Since 1954, scientific studies have consistently indicated that after a significant conflict, the birth rate of boys dramatically increases. Returning soldiers are statistically more likely to father sons rather than daughters.

This is not a mere slight uptick in boy births.

The statistics from 1954 do not encapsulate the entire picture. Subsequent data revealed even more pronounced increases in births of boys in the years following both world wars, particularly during the 1920s and 1950s.

You might think, “It’s logical. Men are more likely to perish in battle than women. Perhaps we evolved to recognize when conflicts arise, replacing the boys lost in war.” One might even speculate that the experience of war somehow alters men, affecting the sex of their offspring.

Neither of these hypotheses holds true.

Theorists debated this for decades until evidence finally revealed a connection between two seemingly unrelated observations:

1. Taller men had a significantly higher survival rate in wars.
2. Taller individuals tend to have more male offspring.

Once again, the focus returns to male height.

The concept of the “height premium” exists for men. Numerous studies have demonstrated that taller individuals earn more, perform better on cognitive assessments, secure superior job positions, and experience greater social dominance.

This height premium likely contributes to taller men’s increased likelihood of surviving wars.

However, height is merely a means to an end—social status.

Taller individuals do not necessarily enjoy better health outcomes. While they may have an edge in combating severe illnesses, shorter individuals often have longer lifespans. Height is not a definitive measure of health, wealth, or success; it serves as an imperfect reflection of our fundamental desire for social status.

Each of us yearns for higher status, whether we openly acknowledge it or not.

If you felt a twinge of discomfort upon reading that, consider this: social status can mean different things to different individuals. It doesn’t always equate to the superficial materialism associated with extravagant brands and ostentatious displays.

In fact, the opposite is often true.

Social status is about contributing positively to the community. It’s about having friends who perceive you as trustworthy and lovable. It’s about becoming a respected member of society rather than a self-absorbed individual flaunting wealth and status symbols.

Social creatures depend on group cooperation for survival. We have developed systems that reward altruistic behavior and penalize extreme selfishness. Status is one such mechanism.

And we are not alone in this regard.

Male monkeys exhibit similar behaviors, choosing to pay for glimpses of female nudity and high-status male monkeys.

Monkeys have their own celebrities.

These monkeys willingly sacrifice their favorite treats to observe a high-status monkey at play. Reflect on that the next time you encounter celebrity gossip in the supermarket.

In contrast to height, social status significantly affects health outcomes. Individuals with low social status are considerably more prone to unhappiness and depression. Low status can shorten life expectancy and lead to numerous stress-related health issues.

Status serves as a more reliable indicator of important factors than height. It’s preferable to be wealthy and short than tall and impoverished.

One pervasive myth is that male status directly correlates with sexual opportunities. This notion is prevalent everywhere.

Men frequently invest excessive amounts of money on loud exhaust systems for their vehicles, seeking to impress women. They purchase clothing and accessories beyond their means, hoping to attract romantic partners. They engage in various attention-seeking behaviors.

Men often resort to foolish actions to elevate their perceived social status in hopes of increasing their sexual encounters. At the core of this behavior lies a fantasy.

This fantasy is known as the beauty-status exchange—hypergamy.

The beauty-status exchange suggests that men with higher status tend to have more sexual opportunities than their lower-status counterparts. This phenomenon is observable across all cultures.

Humans are exceptionally adept at discerning social status, to the extent that we modify our tone of voice based on our perceived status relative to others.

Yet, much like military rank does not guarantee survival in warfare, status does not automatically lead to plentiful sexual opportunities for men. A 2003 study asked individuals of both genders to assess what they found attractive in others.

For both genders, physical attractiveness outweighed social status significantly in determining desirability. Attractiveness in men was often linked to perceived kindness and charisma.

Researchers combined this information with participants' sexual histories. Physically attractive men, including those deemed kind and charismatic, reported the highest number of sexual partners in the previous year. Researchers concluded that “in this regard, status had little to no influence.”

While such studies do not dismiss the notion that high-status men may have more romantic partners, they raise questions about whether status is the primary driver of these relationships.

Height serves merely as a proxy for social status. It is an unreliable measure. What if social status is merely a proxy for something else?

What if high-status men are simply happier, leading them to exhibit greater charisma and kindness? They may also enjoy health advantages that mitigate secondary mental health issues, such as depression.

While social status undeniably affects health and various other life aspects for both men and women, the belief that status directly correlates with sexual success for men is an outdated misconception.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Consider subscribing to my Medium email list and exploring my new Substack publication, _The Science of Sex._