Want to conquer the world? It’s all down to your bulging biceps
IT’S the famous theory that short men are more aggressive – but now scientists believe the Napoleon complex is more about your muscles than your height.
New research claims that it is the size of a man’s biceps that determines whether he is more likely to be confrontational.
The study involved 1,700 men and women from countries including Argentina, Denmark and Romania who were quizzed about their attitudes to war – and violence generally.
They were also asked to measure their biceps as an indicator of size and strength.
The average man’s biceps are around 13.5 inches unflexed, and 14.5 to 15 inches flexed. For women it is generally an inch less.
For Argentine men, every half inch above average for their flexed bicep meant a sixth greater support for war and militarism; for Romanian men it equated to a tenth more; and for Danish men a five per cent rise.
The researchers said: ‘The flexed biceps circumference of men positively predicted their support for warfare. Women’s physical strength was never a significant predictor.’
The study, whose lead author was evolutionary psychologist Dr Aaron Sell from Australia’s Griffith University, said: ‘These findings support the hypothesis that modern warfare is influenced by a psychology designed for ancestral war. ‘Therefore, men who are better physical fighters today still favour war as a tactic in resolving group disputes – more so than men who are poor fighters.’ The Napoleon complex – that people of smaller stature are domineering to compensate – was named after French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who was 5ft 6in.