Height is not zero-sum. It’s correlated with health in nonlinear ways, and also it’s valuable or harmful in different quantities for different things. The vast majority of value (positive and negative dimensions) is NOT relative to others, so “zero-sum” is not a relevant framing.
Beauty is not purely zero-sum either, but arguably more of its desirability is zero-sum than height. Out-competing others in selection contests (mating, politics, some career choices) is influenced by beauty more than height (note: height and IQ are often listed as the two best predictors of income, but that’s because Beauty is rarely included in demographic studies).
My impression is that health problems reduce height but height also causes health problems (even in the normal range of height, e.g. higher cancer risk). I’d be surprised if height was causally healthy.
Height is not zero-sum. It’s correlated with health in nonlinear ways, and also it’s valuable or harmful in different quantities for different things. The vast majority of value (positive and negative dimensions) is NOT relative to others, so “zero-sum” is not a relevant framing.
Beauty is not purely zero-sum either, but arguably more of its desirability is zero-sum than height. Out-competing others in selection contests (mating, politics, some career choices) is influenced by beauty more than height (note: height and IQ are often listed as the two best predictors of income, but that’s because Beauty is rarely included in demographic studies).
My impression is that health problems reduce height but height also causes health problems (even in the normal range of height, e.g. higher cancer risk). I’d be surprised if height was causally healthy.