Powerful people think they’re taller than they are (we’re looking at you, Sarkozy)

Toronto Star:

Women don’t need high heels to feel taller – all they need is a little bit of power.

People overestimate their height when they are in more powerful positions, according to new research from Washington University and Cornell.

“Although a great deal of research has shown that physically imposing individuals are more likely to acquire power, this work is the first to show that the powerful may actually feel taller than they are,” Michelle Duguid and Jack Goncalo wrote in the study.

Perhaps 5-foot-5 French President Nicholas Sarkozy, notorious for standing on boxes while being photographed, really feels like he’s 6-foot-1.

The study was inspired by beleaguered BP chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg for his controversial comment in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill: “We care about the small people,” he said.

Read the whole story: Toronto Star

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