A Short Story

This is not quite satire, nor is it strictly history. It is a story built from shadows and skylines, ambition and architecture – where truth wears high heels and legend walks barefoot.

It begins, not in ancient Rome or revolutionary Paris, but somewhere between a medieval courtyard in Milan and the twisting glass of Turning Torso in Malmö. One is made of stone, the other of steel. But both are monuments to men who, it is whispered, stood a little closer to the ground than they wished.

You’ve heard of Napoleon – the general, the emperor, the short man with big ideas. But before Napoleon came, Guercio da Baggio, the Milanese consul, built palaces large enough to echo his imagined grandeur. He measured things not in meters, but in Guercio units, and the city children laughed while the architects despaired. This historical context provides a deeper understanding of the societal perceptions of height and ambition.

And long after them both, Malmö – a city with no emperors, only opinions – decided to build a tower that twisted towards the sky like a corkscrew of defiance. Was it envy? Ambition? A joke? Or a symptom of a syndrome that dares not speak its name? The city's decision to build a towering structure, seemingly in defiance of societal stereotypes, is a humorous twist in this tale of height and ambition.

What follows is a tale of size and scale, of myths that cast longer shadows than the men they describe. It touches on penguins, pickpockets, and political cartoons. It questions whether skyscrapers can blush and whether Mariah Carey might be a better diagnostician than Freud. These questions prompt reflection on societal perceptions of height and ambition.

This may not be exactly how it happened. Or perhaps it is. Either way, it’s a story worth the height. Please click the link below to learn more about my pictures, writing, and why this story is a must-read.

https://www.konst.se/jorgenthornberg

”A too short Ode
They sit on the rug and their legs never drop,
They jump for a hug and still come up on top.
They reach for the stars—well, the kitchen shelves—
Then laugh and adjust, quite pleased with themselves.

They duck from the rain, yet they’re never the first
To notice the weather or feel the worst.
They stand at the front of every photo you take,
A smile on their lips that no heel could fake.

When the stairs come into view, it’s a plunge of fear,
But the perspective from down there is remarkably clear.
They hand you your joke with a wink and a grin—
While you think you’ve triumphed, they’ve already been.

Micromanagers by day, comedians by night,
They conquer the world in part of your height.
“Keep looking up,” the tall ones declare—
But the short ones nod; they’re already there.

They love being grounded; they’re closer to their roots,
Less fuss with umbrellas and less bending in boots.
And when jokes fly over, they don’t even flinch—
They’re accustomed to punchlines and roll with each inch.

So raise a glass (though they may need a crate),
To those who prove that size doesn’t determine one’s fate.
With humour and pride, they defy every norm—
For no giant was ever this cleverly born.”
Malmö May 2025

A Short Story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction, and had I had a secretary, she could have written it down in shorthand. Joking aside, to the point: today’s short story is about short men, particularly Napoleon, who, despite being nearly average height for his time, has gone down in history as the quintessential example of the so-called Napoleon complex—a man who fell short and compensated through aggression.

The Napoleon complex, also known as Napoleon syndrome or short man syndrome, is a supposed behavioural pattern in which short-statured men tend to exhibit excessively aggressive or dominant behaviour to compensate for their perceived physical or social shortcomings. It suggests that such behaviour is a form of psychological compensation for what they see as inadequacies.

The Napoleon complex is a non-scientific term used to describe behaviour in which short men display exaggerated assertiveness or dominance in social settings. This behaviour is thought to arise from a feeling of physical disadvantage or a sense of lower social value compared to taller peers.

It is essential to note that the Napoleon complex is not a recognised clinical diagnosis or a formal psychological disorder. It is not listed in any official psychological manuals.

The term has been linked to Alfred Adler's theory of the "inferiority complex," in which individuals attempt to compensate for perceived flaws by demonstrating opposite traits. Napoleon complex, Napoleon syndrome, and short man syndrome are often used interchangeably.

The concept itself has been debated and criticised, and it is not widely accepted as a valid or useful explanation for aggressive behaviour.

The term originates from French military officer and statesman Napoleon Bonaparte, who was often described as short and who, in historical depictions, has been accused of using dominant behaviour as a way to compensate for his stature.

The Napoleon complex is named after Napoleon, and cultural portrayals often depict him seeking power and glory to make up for his alleged short stature. This image was primarily fueled by British political cartoonists, who repeatedly mocked him as short to undermine both his ego and imperial ambitions. These cartoons so enraged Napoleon that he once tried—unsuccessfully—to persuade the British government to ban them. His contemporary dictator colleague, Putin, is only 1.68 metres tall — and look at what he’s caused. Berlusconi was equally short, and Kim Jong-il is another good example of what small men can stir up.

He is estimated to have been around 1.67 metres tall, which, depending on the source, was close to the average adult male height at the time. Some historians claim he was 5 feet 7 inches or 1.70 metres, based on measurements taken on Saint Helena 28 years after France adopted the metric system. Yet, despite being quite ordinary in height, enemy soldiers routinely referred to him as "the little corporal."

Singer-songwriter Mariah Carey referenced the Napoleon complex in her 2009 song "Obsessed," accusing someone of being "all fired up with [their] Napoleon complex." Some interpret the song as a jab at rapper Eminem, who had made disparaging remarks about Carey in previous tracks.

At the height of his power, Napoleon commissioned numerous portraits of himself, yet these paintings bore little resemblance to his actual appearance, neither in face nor in height. Historically, rulers have often desired to be portrayed in a more flattering manner than reality allowed. This phenomenon remains present today: "Instagram Face" has become the modern equivalent of idealised self-portrayal on social media.

Speaking of Turning Torso, which dominates my image, and how both that and a medieval palace tie into this story, everyone now surely knows what the term "Napoleon complex" refers to. The monumental Palazzo di Brera in Milan must be seen as a product of this affliction. Its builder, Guercio da Baggio, was a power-hungry, short-statured nobleman who compensated for his height with enormous landholdings and a grotesquely oversized palace. It is both symbolic and satirical—a medieval version of "short man, tall towers."

Guercio da Baggio was short in stature but grand in ambition. He stood at under 1.70 metres, which was the average male height of his time. To obscure his actual height, he refused to use standard feet and inches and instead introduced his unit of measurement: the "Guercio," slightly over 30 centimetres. As a consul in 13th-century Milan, he had little patience for opposition and even less for his height complex—or rather, he had plenty of the latter. It was said in Milan that for every centimetre Guercio lacked, another room was added to one of his construction projects.

His greatest pride was the land at Brera, where he, in an act of stone-hewn defiance, erected a building so massive that Milan’s towering cathedral could eat its heart out. The palace had towers, halls, courtyards, and vaults—all larger than truly necessary, but exactly as grand as Guercio saw himself, body notwithstanding.

Children in Milan were taught to measure in "Guercio units." How tall is the tower at Brera? “Three hundred seventy-two guercio and a hat.” That is, 112 meters taller than the cathedral. And every time someone asked why the Brera palace was so absurdly big, the old ones would answer: “Because its master had a soul that large.”

What began as a private palazzo for Guercio da Baggio, then grew over centuries into one of Europe's largest Jesuit colleges, was finally transformed by Napoleon into one of Italy's first modern public art galleries. It is a fascinating architectural and ideological evolution—from overcompensation, to education, to enlightened republicanism. That’s where Napoleon enters the scene. After conquering Italy, the palace enchanted him, its façade as grand as his self-image.

After crowning himself King of Italy in 1805, Napoleon sought to create an "Italian Louvre." The museum, which now houses an incredible collection of art from nearly every great master, was inaugurated on August 15, 1809, Napoleon's birthday.

Napoleon banned women from wearing high heels, which, at that time in France, were still considered part of male fashion. But in Britain, heels had already become feminine attire, and the British mocked Napoleon, saying he banned heels because he was short.

The Napoleon complex is exceedingly rare. People believe it exists because when a short person is aggressive, they are labelled with a "Napoleon complex," while aggressive people of average or tall height are considered aggressive.

Despite the persistent myth, a 2007 study found that shorter men lost their tempers just as often as taller men. The reason the myth persists is that short men are consistently the butt of jokes. When they push back over time, they are then seen as insecure or dramatic. It’s a bit like how people laugh at someone being bullied but are shocked if the victim turns around and punches the bully in the face. This resilience in the face of societal stereotypes is something we can all admire.

It's a societal bias that's deeply ingrained. Mostly women, but also men, will excuse bad behaviour or aggression from a taller man as 'natural' or say, 'he's just a dominant guy.' However, for a shorter man, they claim, 'Oh, he's just short.' In other words, our perception of behaviour is often filtered through a person’s height. This bias is something we need to reflect on and challenge.

Now the time has come for the Malmö connection. Is Turning Torso an expression of Malmö’s own Napoleon complex—if indeed a city can have one? Sweden’s third-largest city is constantly compared with neighbouring Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital: Where is life more fun? Where is the food better? Where is the nightlife more regal? According to people in Stockholm, Malmö suffers from a little-brother complex, which in turn has resulted in this Napoleonic syndrome. That conversation gained momentum when Turning Torso, a neo-futuristic residential skyscraper, was completed in Malmö, Sweden, in 2005. It was the tallest building in the Nordic region until September 2022, when it was surpassed by the Karlatornet in Gothenburg. Envy sank its claws into Stockholm, though the aggression is now more often directed at Gothenburg.

To conclude, here are a few jokes and anecdotes about short people. While these jokes may be amusing to some, it's essential to recognise that they can perpetuate stereotypes and be hurtful. Nevertheless, they also serve as a reminder of the societal perceptions of height and the necessity to challenge these perceptions.

The height of smallness is sitting on the edge of a rug and dangling your legs.

You’ve gotta hand it to short people because they usually can’t reach it anyway.

Sometimes when I look at short people, I wonder if they’re able to reach their goals.

Coming down the stairs must feel like skydiving to short people.

I was shocked to read in the papers today that a short person had been pickpocketed. I just thought to myself, “How could someone stoop so low?”

Short people must listen to the weather report. When it rains, if you’re short, you are the last one to know.

“Keep looking up.” – Motivational advice for most people. Necessary advice for short people.

I’m not saying short people are inferior, but I do tend to look down on them.

I love short people. They’re more down-to-earth.

The water in the shower evaporates before it reaches you.

What do you call a short manager? A real micromanager.

Why do short people like drugs? Because they get them high.

Last but not least: It’s easy to make fun of short people... the jokes always go over their heads.

One advantage of being small is being at the front of all group photos.

One of my favourites is the one about the Norwegian shrimp who ended up in a lobster fisherman’s net. The fisherman wanted to throw the shrimp back into the sea with the seaweed and other unwanted catch, but the shrimp cried out in despair: “Don’t throw me out! I’m a lobster,” he squeaked, beating his tiny chest. The fact that he said it in Norwegian makes it even funnier in Sweden. Incidentally, one can make a delicious soup from shrimp shells that is nearly indistinguishable from lobster bisque—at a fraction of the cost.

Finally, there’s the one about two Eskimos, one large and one short, approaching the convent door. “Go ahead, knock on the door, knock on the door,” the big one nudged the shorter one. Mother Superior answers the door.

“Go ahead, ask her the question,” the big Eskimo nudged the little one again.

“May we speak with the dwarf nun who lives here, please?” the little Eskimo asked timidly.

“No dwarf nun lives here,” the Mother Superior responds.

“Go ahead, ask her the second question,” the larger Eskimo said as he nudged the tiny one again.

“Well, are there any midget nuns in Alaska?” the miniature Eskimo inquired, his voice quivering.

“I know most of the sisters in Alaska, and I don’t believe so,” Mother Superior answered hesitantly.

With that, the large Eskimo collapsed and rolled to the ground, clutching his stomach and laughing uncontrollably. “See, I told you you screwed a penguin!” he exclaimed to the short Eskimo.