Thin Line Between Love And Height

I'm a 5-foot-5-inch man. I know "character is what really matters," and I'm not insecure about my height, just a realist: Many women want a man who's taller than they are. I'm considering getting elevator shoes (height enhancers that look like normal shoes). Obviously, if I started dating a woman, she'd find out. Do you think she'd feel scammed?

--Bad Altitude

There's adding a couple of inches, and there's going from circus act to starting forward. Two inches is the male version of a padded bra. Five is taking a woman's bra off and finding it filled with socks. For many women, any height-faking is an automatic dealbreaker. But, if some woman's very attracted to you as a person but not as a short person, your being able to stand a little taller may keep you in the running to be more than her friend. As for whether women will feel scammed, your attitude probably matters -- whether you project that you just feel better with a little extra elevation or whether you seem ashamed and angry at being small. Confidence does make a short man seem taller. But, keep in mind that some women won't be into you unless you stand taller at all times. That's when your confidence will really come in handy -- when you're the only guy on the beach going for a swim in a pair of cowboy boots.