#890 Those really, really tall people – 1000 Awesome Things

Some people walk into a room and instantly become the room’s unofficial GPS pin. You don’t mean to stare, but your brain quietly says, “Ah yes, there they are the human lighthouse.” And honestly? That’s part of the charm. The idea behind #890 Those really, really tall people from 1000 Awesome Things works because it celebrates something simple and delightfully human: the everyday magic of people who are really, really tall.

This isn’t just a “wow, tall!” appreciation post, though. Height is one of those traits that comes with a mix of perks, awkward moments, social assumptions, and practical challenges. Tall people can look effortlessly commanding in a crowd, but they also spend a surprising amount of time negotiating with low door frames, short shower heads, tiny airplane legroom, and kitchen counters clearly designed by a committee of average-sized hobbits.

In this article, we’re celebrating the fun of really tall people while also looking at what research says about height, social perception, comfort, posture, and health. The goal is simple: keep the joy, add some real-world insight, and appreciate tallness without turning it into a stereotype. Because yes, tall people are awesome but they’re also regular humans who just happen to spend more time near ceiling fans.

Why “Really, Really Tall People” Feels So Instantly Relatable

The genius of the original “awesome things” idea is that it takes a tiny everyday observation and makes you laugh because it’s true. Really tall people do stand out in daily life. They’re easy to spot in a crowd, easy to find at a concert, and often the first person someone asks to grab something from a high shelf. They become “the tall person” in family photos, friend groups, and office stories sometimes before anyone learns their favorite food or what kind of music they’re into.

But what makes the topic genuinely interesting is how universal the reaction is. Height changes social dynamics in subtle ways. People often assume tall individuals are more confident, more athletic, or more leader-like even when none of those assumptions are based on anything but appearance. That can feel flattering, funny, annoying, or all three before lunch.

In other words, the “awesome” part isn’t just visual. It’s the combination of visibility, personality, and the weirdly specific moments that come with moving through a world built around average measurements.

The Everyday Wins of Being Very Tall

Let’s start with the good stuff, because there is a lot of it. Tall people often bring practical advantages to ordinary situations, and some of these are so obvious they’ve become cultural shorthand.

1) Built-in Crowd Visibility

Need to find your friend in a packed airport? If your friend is 6’5″, congratulations you don’t need a map. Really tall people are easy to locate in busy places, which makes them excellent meeting points, concert beacons, and “I’m over here!” legends.

2) High-Shelf Hero Status

Every grocery store has a moment when someone looks up at a top shelf, sighs, and then scans the aisle for a tall person. This is the tall equivalent of being summoned to a side quest. Tall people don’t apply for this role, but they get cast in it constantly.

3) Presence (Without Saying a Word)

Height can create instant visual presence. In meetings, on stages, and in social gatherings, taller people may be noticed faster. That doesn’t automatically mean better ideas, better leadership, or better dance moves but it does mean people often pay attention quickly.

4) Sports and Reach-Heavy Activities

Let’s be careful here: not every tall person is a basketball player, and not every basketball player is magically coordinated. But in many sports and physical tasks, extra reach can be useful. Even outside sports, tall people often have practical reach advantages in daily tasks, from changing light bulbs to hanging curtains.

5) Comedic Timing by Default

Tallness creates visual comedy all on its own. Ducking under signs, folding into compact cars, or appearing in the top half of a video call frame while everyone else is perfectly centered it’s not a personality, but it sure does come with special effects.

The Part Nobody Mentions Enough: Tall-People Logistics

If the world feels built for “average,” tall people often become involuntary product testers for everything that claims to be “one-size-fits-all.” Spoiler: it is not.

Airplanes, Cars, and Legroom Negotiations

Travel can be the ultimate tall-person endurance challenge. Knees versus seatbacks is practically its own sport. Compact cars become geometry puzzles. Even movie theaters, trains, and waiting-room chairs can feel like they were designed by someone who has never had a femur.

Furniture That Looks Fine Until You Sit Down

Desks too low. Counters too low. Beds too short. Sofas that support exactly 72% of a leg. This is why adjustable furniture is not a luxury for many tall people it’s the difference between comfort and a daily low-grade ache.

Clothing and “Almost Fits” Problems

Tall sizing has improved, but “close enough” still shows up a lot: sleeves that stop early, pants that become ankle declarations, and jackets that fit the torso but not the arms. Shopping can feel like a scavenger hunt where the prize is a shirt that reaches your wrists.

Home Design Details You Don’t Notice Until You’re Tall

Mirrors mounted too low. Shower heads aimed at the collarbone. Ceiling fans that suddenly seem like a safety briefing. Door frames that inspire a permanent “tiny duck” reflex. These things are invisible to most people until a very tall person points them out usually while rubbing their forehead.

What Research Says About Height and Social Perception

Height isn’t just a physical trait; it also affects how people are perceived. Research over the years has found that height can be associated with leadership perceptions, workplace outcomes, and assumptions about competence. That doesn’t mean height causes talent or intelligence it means humans are often biased by visible traits when making snap judgments.

Some studies and summaries of workplace research have reported a “height premium,” where taller people may be perceived more favorably in certain professional settings. Other research adds nuance, suggesting that the story is not simply “taller is better,” and that factors such as childhood environment, social experiences, and cognitive development can also help explain why height sometimes correlates with outcomes like income.

In plain English: people may give taller individuals extra social credit before the actual evidence arrives. That can create advantages, but it also highlights a fairness issue. A strong workplace, school, or team should reward skill, judgment, and character not the distance between someone’s head and the floor.

This is one reason the “awesome things” angle works so well. It celebrates the fun of tallness without pretending height is a moral achievement. Nobody “earns” being 6’6″. It’s just a trait one that society often reacts to in predictable ways.

Health, Height, and the Important “Don’t Assume” Rule

Here’s a useful reminder: being tall is usually just normal human variation. A person can be very tall and be perfectly healthy. At the same time, some medical conditions can involve unusual growth patterns, and that’s why context matters.

For example, medical sources note that certain rare conditions (such as gigantism in children) involve excessive growth hormone and can come with symptoms beyond height alone. Likewise, conditions such as Marfan syndrome may include tall, thin body build plus other signs that require medical evaluation. The key point is simple: height by itself is not a diagnosis.

If a child is growing unusually fast or a person has symptoms such as headaches, vision changes, joint issues, or other concerning signs, that’s a conversation for a healthcare professional not a comment section. Tallness is common. Medical causes of extreme growth are much rarer and come with a broader clinical picture.

Back Pain and Posture: Risk Is Not Destiny

Tall people sometimes hear, “You must have back pain.” That’s not automatically true, but posture and fit matter a lot. Older studies have found associations between greater height and back pain risk in some groups, but height alone doesn’t doom anyone to pain. A poorly fitted workstation, long periods of static sitting, weak postural habits, and repetitive strain can affect people of any height.

In practice, very tall people are often more likely to end up in awkward positions because everyday furniture is too small. So the issue may be less “height is the problem” and more “the environment doesn’t fit the person.” That’s a design problem and a fixable one.

Ergonomics for Tall People: Small Adjustments, Big Difference

If you’re really tall (or live/work with someone who is), ergonomics can make life dramatically better. U.S. workplace ergonomics guidance consistently emphasizes adjustability, neutral posture, and movement breaks all of which matter even more when standard furniture dimensions don’t match your frame.

Workstation Setup Tips for Tall Adults

• Prioritize an adjustable chair: Seat height, back support, and armrests matter.
• Check thigh clearance: If your knees are jammed under the desk, the desk height may be the issue.
• Support your lower back: Don’t let “tall slouch” become your default posture.
• Place keyboard and mouse near elbow height: This helps reduce shoulder and wrist strain.
• Raise the monitor appropriately: Avoid constant neck flexion from looking down.
• Move often: Even a perfect setup is not healthy if you freeze in one position for hours.

One underrated point: tall people sometimes overcompensate by hunching to “fit in” visually or physically. That can become a habit in social settings, doorways, desks, and kitchen counters. Standing tall (literally) is not just a motivational poster slogan it can be a real comfort strategy when paired with proper setup and strength.

Why We Still Love This “Awesome Thing”

The best part about #890 Those really, really tall people is that it doesn’t feel mean-spirited or clinical. It notices something obvious and turns it into appreciation. In a world where body commentary can get weird fast, that matters.

Done well, celebrating tall people means appreciating the humor, usefulness, and visual drama of height while also respecting the person attached to it. Tall people are not public property, not automatic athletes, and not always “lucky.” They’re just people living a slightly more vertical life.

So the next time you see someone gracefully folding themselves into a tiny seat, reaching a top shelf for a stranger, or instinctively ducking under a doorway that everyone else walks through normally, give a little mental nod. That’s not just height. That’s elite everyday adaptation.

Bonus Section: of Real-Life Tall-People Experiences

Spend enough time around really tall people and you start noticing a pattern: they move through the same world as everyone else, but the world keeps asking them to improvise. A normal morning can include a shower head aimed at the upper chest, a mirror that only reflects from the mouth down, and a kitchen counter that somehow turns coffee making into a lower-back workout. None of this is dramatic on its own, but it stacks up. Tall people become quiet experts in micro-adjustments.

Social situations are where the comedy really shows up. Group photos? The tall person is usually in the back, center, slightly bent, trying not to make everyone else look like they were photographed in a different zip code. At concerts, they may feel guilty for blocking someone’s view while also being the only friend who can actually see the stage. At weddings, parties, and crowded train stations, they become the designated landmark. “Meet by the guy in the blue shirt” may fail. “Meet by the very tall guy” works immediately.

Then there’s the constant assumption game. Strangers ask, “Do you play basketball?” as if height automatically comes with a league contract and a jump shot. Some tall people enjoy the joke and answer with a grin. Others have heard it approximately one million times and would prefer questions about literally anything else, like books, dogs, or whether the appetizer tray is coming back around. The experience varies, but the repetition is real.

Travel stories might be the most universal tall-person genre. Airplanes become tactical planning exercises: aisle or window, exit row if possible, knees angled just right, backpack placed so it doesn’t trap the feet. Road trips in small cars create a pecking order based on leg length, not seniority. Even hotel beds can become “diagonal sleeping only” situations. Tall people often master the art of looking calm while being physically inconvenienced in twelve different ways.

And yet, there are undeniably fun moments. Kids look up at very tall adults with pure amazement, like they’ve met a friendly tree. Friends call on them for top-shelf rescues. In crowded places, they can spot the rest of the group instantly. Clothes that fit perfectly look fantastic. A strong posture gives them an effortless stage presence. Tallness can be awkward, but it can also be unforgettable in the best way.

That’s why this “awesome thing” lands so well: it captures both sides at once. Really tall people are impressive, funny, useful, and occasionally inconvenienced by architecture. They make ordinary scenes more memorable. And when we notice that with affection instead of judgment, we get the whole point not just “wow, you’re tall,” but “wow, you navigate a world that wasn’t always built for you, and somehow you still make it look easy.”

Conclusion

Really tall people are awesome not because height makes someone better, but because height makes everyday life unexpectedly interesting. From social visibility and practical reach to awkward furniture, funny travel moments, and surprising workplace assumptions, tallness is a reminder that human bodies come in different scales and our spaces, habits, and expectations don’t always keep up.

The smartest takeaway is equal parts appreciation and empathy: celebrate the charm, skip the stereotypes, and design environments that fit more kinds of people. That’s how a simple “awesome thing” becomes a better way to think about real life.