Being Tall, Being Rich

From the trivia department comes new data about a relation between height and earning potential. An economist from the University of Rochester, Steven Landsburg, has surveyed research and found that taller people tend to earn more than shorter people of equal education and experience.

He estimates that an extra inch brings roughly an extra $1,000 in yearly salary.

It's not height discrimination, according to Professor Landsburg. In fact, the research indicates the reason is something non-physical – the early self-esteem that springs from being tall in high school. People who were tall in adolescence but turned out relatively shorter as adults don't have any earnings gap.

The nice part of that finding, of course, is that knowing one's own worth as an individual needn't be tied to a physical attribute. Youngsters (and oldsters) can feel whole and develop their talents by discovering their ability to make others happy, and through spiritual growth.

Many people who have always been short in height but long in character can attest to that.