Look I get it. Sometimes we have to save face. It's the only way we can successfully bow out of a situation and in some way retain the respect of the person or people we're up against. It's like an "unspoken truce". However, depending on the context, you can still look like a polished turd. Such is the case when person let's you know it's okay to be "you" because one time in their distant past, they associated with someone just like you, even if it was for 10.5 seconds and only because they went against their tenets for the sake of doing something "a little differently". 

See Also: Beware Of The Reformed Heightist Woman

From The Mountaintops 

You've been in this situation. You're having a random conversation, the topic shifts to dating and one woman randomly, for no specific reason other than to hear herself speaks says something along the lines of, "I dated a guy short guy once, but my current beaux is 6'4" (add smirk after saying "6'4"). What? Was this necessary? You've seen this play out in real life and on Television at least probably a few times by now. Episodes of various female dominated talk shows come to mind.

"I Once Dated A Short Guy...." | Source: ABC Television

This phenomenon is known as "Virtue Signaling". In layman's terms, it's letting everyone within an earshot know that you are "one of the good ones"; free from biases and from being shallow in any way. You're "open minded". It's a way of saving face if you will. Deep down however, that person knows very well that they share same biases as their peers and practice many of the same behaviors; probably more so.

That short guy she dated? It's very possible he was a fluke. She might have been genuinely attracted to him, or he may have had redeeming qualities that made him stand out from the competition. She may have even been in love with him. Either way, that was some time ago. The men she had dated since then or the ones she normally dates are all lanky, and she smirks whenever she has the opportunity to mention how imposing he is.

Many Women Make It A Point To Let The World Know That Her Man Is Tall

Less About You, More About Her

This brings us to "empathy". Consider refraining from boasting about the physical qualities your partner possesses in social and professional settings containing mixed crowds. It's just bad etiquette. It's analogous to boasting about that one Asian who was your best friend through college, or a man telling everyone that he "took one for the team" in a setting where the women nearby aren't exactly size twos. You know, because nothing makes someone feel amazing than hearing that you were once Shepard on a farm for guinea pigs.

See Also: Why Tall Women Dating Shorter Men Is No Big Deal

Shorter men don't get the social protections that other groups get and as a result have to grow thick skins, but that doesn't prevent you from having good manners and considering the impact stigmas may have had on people who have to put up with the external nonsense that comes with it as a part of the package.

Advice On Etiquette 

If you have dated a man who would be considered short by most or are open to dating one, it's enough to say that height isn't or was never a factor in choosing a partner. It's clean, gets your point across and goes down smooth for everyone who has lent you their ear. On the other hand, if you don't care for shorter men, keep it to yourself or within your peer group. You know what you floats your boat, and that's all that matters. 

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