When they say "big man", "little man", they usually mean social position, social status. It is clear that a “big man” is a boss, a minister, a well-known and authoritative person, moreover, with a solid financial fortune. However, for some people, these concepts are literally associated with growth. First of all, these are those whom nature has deprived of great growth. These are not necessarily dwarfs, but simply people with growth below average. This condition is called the “Napoleon complex”: it is believed that the French ruler was small in stature, therefore he was eager to conquer the world. Below we will show that this is not entirely true.

Who are the "Napoleons"?

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

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

"Napoleons" and exactingness towards oneself. At the same time, they are often obsessive - because they need to prove to everyone their importance. They are very easy to offend, they are proud, vindictive and do not like criticism in their address. 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, majestic: they get a big car, an impressive house, an office; they choose tall people as friends. This is also an attempt to compensate for small growth.

Literature, films and cartoons feature brilliant and at the same time mad scientists who are trying to take over the world. They invent a superweapon, unique chemical composition etc., creating a global catastrophe out of all this. And most often they are portrayed by people of small stature, 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: the “Napoleons” need to attract people to themselves by all means.

Napoleon complex or... Korais?

Many believe that Napoleon Bonaparte was small in stature, which explains his ambition and desire to conquer the world. People from his entourage even called him "our little corporal." However, in reality, the growth of the "little corporal" was above average: 169 cm. Almost the same - 172 cm - was Kutuzov's height. Why did the legend about Napoleon's short stature spread? One of the explanations for this is that the soldiers and officers of his army wore magnificent outfits with a high plume, which visually added centimeters to them; Napoleon himself dressed simply, so against the background of discharged subordinates he seemed small. Another explanation is that Napoleon was shorter than some contemporary rulers, in particular, Alexander I. The Russian Tsar at that time was considered a giant at all - 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 entourage 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 the works of Korais is the translation of Strabo into French. The scientist presented this book to Napoleon at a solemn ceremony. When Napoleon saw Korais heading towards him, he almost died with laughter: the height of the Greek scientist was ... about 1 meter. It was a real dwarf. He was dressed in full dress uniform, designed for tall man, and now and then stumbled over a sword tied to his belt.

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

The growth of world dictators also does not support the view 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 them all was, for example, Winston Churchill (167 cm), who can not be called a dictator.

How to get rid of the Napoleon complex

If you are a “Napoleon” (but not a schizophrenic or a cake) and are very worried about your height, then you need to get rid of this complex. First of all, it must be understood that nothing can change physical growth; love yourself the way you are. As we have already said, height is not the main criterion for attractiveness for girls: many ladies' favorites were rather short. There are celebrities among them: for example, Pushkin and Lermontov were very short - 161 and 158 cm, respectively; nevertheless, their relationship with the fair sex (especially the first) at one time became an example to follow.

If you want to visually "lengthen" the figure, then you must first of all follow the figure. Fat people always seem short, and slender people, on the contrary, are tall. You also need to wear thin belts and ties, and have a short haircut. Women's clothes should have long beads, vertical stripes, V-neck. It is important to walk with a straight back and not slouch.

Better lower yes better

Not always high growth is good. In some professions, on the contrary, short people are required or welcomed. Such, for example, Formula 1 racers. The smallest world boxing champion Jacob Matlala (147 cm) is not the only one of his kind: our Kostya Ju has a height of 170 cm, which is also considered not particularly in boxing big size. One of the symbols of world boxing, Mike Tyson, although tall (178 cm), is average compared to many of his colleagues.

In general, high growth and muscular body mass were of decisive importance for a person in previous eras, when nothing but muscular strength existed in the economy. In our time, when the amount of mental labor is increasing, physical indicators are becoming more and more insignificant. And if so, then you should not complex about your low growth.

Little people are not aggressive

Many people associate small stature with increased aggression. No wonder the word "dwarf" is strongly associated with evil and cruelty, in contrast to the more neutral "dwarf". However, researchers have debunked this myth. In the course of a special experiment, it turned out that greater aggression is characteristic of just tall people.

Other myths have not been proven - that short people earn less and are less liked by women.

From time immemorial, a man has been considered a protector, the head of the family, who must be fearless, full of ambitions and aspirations. But every woman must understand that almost every lover has a certain complex, which most men do not even know about. In our article we will consider the main male complexes.

A man who is not lucky enough to be tall is often very complex about this. But small stature is often accompanied by great ambition and exorbitant vanity. Moreover, if a man turns this "flaw" to his advantage, then he is guaranteed success.

Any small man should remember and look up to such famous personalities as Napoleon (1.57m), Diego Maradona (1.67m), singer Prince (1.58m), Dustin Hoffman (1.63m) - they all achieved in life's greatest peaks and never complained about their height. A woman should never focus on a man's height, then he himself will not complete because of this.

The "boss" syndrome

With this syndrome, men begin to “get sick” from early childhood. Parents quite unconsciously try to raise a “real man”, focusing only on “male” traits and forgetting to instill in their child some useful “female” traits. And men from the cradle learn to prove their superiority as the stronger sex.

70% of men simply cannot stand the superiority of women, 64% have complexes in cases where the wife's earnings exceed their income. 58% of men become fiercely jealous of their girlfriend if her career is going much better. It is regrettable, but it is impossible to “cure” a man from such a syndrome.

Lost Time Syndrome

While a person is young, he tries to take as much as possible from life, to climb the career ladder as high as possible. And when a man reaches old age, he begins to be bitterly disappointed that the forces are no longer the same and that it is necessary to “slow down”.

For almost 80% of men, this becomes a serious shock. But recognition and success can come even after 50 - this was proved by the famous artist Pablo Picasso. When a man crosses the 50-year mark, he becomes more vulnerable than before. If his woman is wise and tactful enough, she will be able to convince him that quality is now much more important than quantity.

Lot syndrome

Lot is a character from the Bible who, after the destruction of the cities of Gomorrah and Sodom, went into a cave with his 2 daughters. There he again revived the human race. Lot's syndrome does not speak of any perverted inclinations of a man - it is just a man's instinct to protect his woman from another male.

But the daughter is his blood, his little woman, and in every boyfriend he sees a rival. Fortunately for most daughters, this syndrome is very rare and can be managed with little effort.

impotence syndrome

Why do all women think that a man at any age is in a state of "always ready"? This is a myth that, most likely, men themselves came up with in order not to lose their natural dominance over a woman.

The older a man is, the more he is subject to the fear of “falling into the mud face” in front of a woman. Disappointment in own forces can hit him on pride much more than some social troubles. But a loving, tactful and caring woman can easily cope with this syndrome.

Kotovsky's syndrome

Have you noticed how fashionable it is now to shave your head bald? This is especially true for male celebrities. All men are adult children, and they are still sure that baldness is something shameful and terrible.

They think that if the loss of hair leads to a decrease in male power. Agree that this is complete absurdity. And if a man shaved his head, he began to feel more sexual, masculine. In addition, it perfectly disguised a bald patch that was breaking through in this way.

Alexander Syndrome

The greatest anger in men is the suspicion of their non-traditional orientation. They are so afraid that they will sexually attract not a woman, but another man, that they are ready to prove their courage everywhere and always.

Experts found that only 21% of men have homosexual inclinations, and 30% even have behind them the experience of sexual contact with a man acquired in young age. It was this experience that Alexander of Macedon had, after whom this syndrome was named. If you ask a man what will lead him to the strongest stressful state, then the majority will answer that this is a suspicion of their "blueness".

Hercules Syndrome

As you know, Hercules (or Hercules) is a demigod from ancient Greek mythology. On his account there are many feats, victories over monsters. But he was enslaved by the queen of the Amazons and forced to do work intended exclusively for women: spinning, washing, cooking, etc.

A similar syndrome appears in a man when he begins to completely depend on his girlfriend. She forces her lover to engage in “female” affairs, even to the detriment of more important matters, even if it only seems to a man. By the way, on the basis of such conflicts, most families in the modern world quarrel.

Don Juan Syndrome

Probably, at least once in her life, every woman met a man with a similar syndrome. For a girl to dump a guy? Well, no - his libido will not survive this!

He is a male, and he is the first to break off all relations. But in a world where equality is already flourishing with might and main, emancipation is developing, men have become less zealous about such situations.

Napoleon Bonaparte went down in history not only as the great French emperor, who had the strongest will to win and huge ambitions. He would be quite surprised if he knew that today a cake, a pastry and one of the human complexes inherent in people with short stature and miniature forms are called after him. What is this unusual psychological problem? Let's figure it out.

Napoleon complex in psychology

Why did it happen that it was Napoleon who had an inferiority complex? Yes, because with a growth of only 1 m 51 cm, he was able to achieve great success and be remembered as a person with inexhaustible energy, self-confidence and determination. Today, psychology considers the Napoleon complex as the desire of people of short stature to achieve fame, success and wealth.

The first to mention this inferiority complex in his writings was the psychologist Alfred Adler. He used the term "Napoleon Complex" when he described the behavior of short men who show increased activity in various areas of human activity. Let's see how this is manifested in people of different sexes.

Napoleonic complex in men

Another name that this phenomenon has is “shorty syndrome” or “complex little man". The meaning of these terms is the same - people of short stature are complex because of their appearance, they feel flawed and, realizing that nothing can be achieved by external data, they try to develop ambitions and a desire for success in themselves. Small men become aggressive starting at adolescence. Most often, anger at others is the result of discrimination by peers or because of the refusal of a woman. Unlike tall men, "shorty men" are almost always sure that others look at them with disdain, and this fact exposes them to anger. There are also known facts that undersized men are much more jealous.

The Napoleon complex morally puts pressure on the psyche of men and this affects their relationships with others, especially with women. By the way, as far as women are concerned, the situation is exactly the opposite. Small men like tall women, and they fully reciprocate. As psychologists say, the reason here is that women value in men not so much appearance as strength, determination, intelligence and charm. In addition, short men mature faster intimately, their blood contains more hormones, which makes them much sexier than tall peers. In addition, small men get sick less often and live longer.

Napoleon complex in women

Despite the fact that the “little man syndrome” is considered to be a purely male ailment, women suffer no less from their diminutiveness. They categorically protest against the desire of men to protect them from all sorts of problems and surround them with care. What is it connected with?

According to psychologists, women with a Napoleon complex are trying to make up for the missing centimeters with their heightened ambitions. This is manifested in the desire to lead others, to gain a sense of self-worth and the desire for leadership. In practice, it is clear that undersized women still achieve career success, but in the process of moving up the career ladder, they often become cruel and aggressive. In history, there are many confirmations of the existence of the Napoleon complex in women. Among the famous miniature ladies are such as the English Queen Victoria (152 cm), the famous singer Edith Piaf (147 cm), the prima donna of the Russian stage Alla Pugacheva (162 cm) and, who did the almost impossible, one of the most sought-after models in the world, Eva Longoria ( 155 cm)!

Learning to live without complexes

There are many examples in history that prove the presence of the Napoleon complex in men and women. What are such names as Alexander the Great (150 cm), Lenin (164 cm), Hitler (165 cm), Stalin (162 cm), Mussolini (160 cm) worth. However, the representatives of short stature themselves have a very hard time in life. Starting with fear, self-doubt and ending with anger at the world. Undoubtedly, this complex forms the character and attitude to life. However, there are ways out of any situation. If you yourself are a petite person and suffer because of your height, try to remedy this situation with these simple tips:

1. Do not dwell on the shortcomings of your appearance. Perhaps for those around them, on the contrary, they are virtues.
2. Wear vertical stripes. It will visually make you taller.
3. Wear only thin belts.
4. Watch your weight. Extra pounds will make you bigger.
5. Sit and walk with a straight back. Try not to slouch.
6. Wear a small heel or platform.

If your diminutiveness does not suit you, remember the most important thing - learn to love yourself the way nature created you. Growth is your dignity and no need to try to change it. People around you love you in any way. Learn to accept yourself and love your reflection in the mirror.