One evening, while waiting for the bus, a friend stood on the seat of the bus shelter. As she looked at the campus before her she said, “So this is what things look like from up here.” I decided to crouch down a bit and jokingly gave a similar response.

Although it was a statement simply made in jest at the time, I later realized what our comments had meant; what it is to see things from different heights.

Height is a constant in our lives, affecting who we are from youth and defining who we are when we have reached our peak of growth. It can affect where we stand in line, what clothes we can or cannot wear, who we are attracted to or even where we want to sit in a movie theater.

We never consider the impact height has on the way we perceive ourselves and the world, and the way, in turn, others perceive us.

Have you ever eagerly pointed something out to a friend only to hear, “I can’t see it.” It seems rather insignificant, yet this one example shows that even when walking with someone right next to you, the path that lies in front of you can conceal or reveal different things to those of different heights.

We see the world from a consistent perspective. Without realizing what we’re doing, we construct the world around us based on this perception. The height from which we see things literally changes how we interpret them.

Often, the way in which we define others can be a reflection of how we define ourselves. In asking a friend to describe someone to me, I asked, “Is he tall?” She replied, “Well, everyone’s tall to me.” What is relative to one is never objective to all, and height is just one more variable that fluctuates with the world around us.

This works in both ways, as we are also constantly comparing ourselves to those around us. What is “short” and what is “tall” is comprehended only after there is an “average” on which to base them. Once this standard is established, people who fall too short or rise too far above may feel more self-conscious. On the flip side, those near the happy mean may gain confidence.

I’m a girl of 5 feet, 9 inches; other than “really tall,” how else do those around me construct their understanding of who I am? Maybe some see my height as attractive; maybe it makes it harder for others to approach me.

A well-known social construct is that when a man and a woman are together, the man should be taller. Although more and more often this expectation is challenged, the superficial attraction we have to others remains under its influence.

On the other hand, to be “short” may be associated with child-like qualities or cuteness, or to be seen as inferior.

Height not only gives us access to certain careers (basketball comes to mind), but also denies us from others. Not only for superficial reasons, such as the bias against short models, but also because of those same social constructions of how one is viewed because of his or her height.

To what extent do we fulfill or challenge others’ preconceived constructions of ourselves? To what extent do we fall into the mistake of pushing those same constructions onto those around us? And finally, to what extent do we let constructions of height influence our perceptions of ourselves?

Next time you’re waiting for a bus, you’ll have some food for thought.