Tallness increases the ability to attract a potential mate (e.g., Stulp, Buunk, & Pollet, 2013)-an example of intersexual selection, in which certain traits make individuals more successful at attracting mates (and producing offspring) than others. Sexual selection theory suggests that an individual’s physiology and psychology have been shaped by the joint forces of intersexual and intrasexual competition (e.g., Buss & Schmitt, 1993 Puts, 2010), which is also expected to apply to men’s height. The origins of the Napoleon complex are unclear but have been attributed to Alfred Adler’s (1956) inferiority complex theory, which assumes that individuals respond to feelings of inferiority on certain traits by overcompensating on others.Įvolutionary psychology may offer a framework for examining whether the Napoleon complex has a scientific basis. 1 This story exemplifies the popular belief, known as the Napoleon complex, that short men compensate behaviorally for a height disadvantage. When a military commander told Napoleon Bonaparte that he felt uncomfortable being so much taller than his Emperor, Napoleon allegedly replied: “You may be taller, but I am greater” ( Donker & Burmanje, 2012, p.