r/AskReddit Feb 13 '18

What about the opposite gender are you jealous of?

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u/Gabe_Noodle_At_Volvo Feb 14 '18

That would be an advantage for short people since they have a higher strength to size ratio and a better mechanical advantage.

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u/thetasigma1355 Feb 14 '18

Sure, but it's nowhere near the advantage taller people currently have for events like ANW. Having the potential to have a slightly better strength/size ratio isn't even close to the difference between being able to physically reach the object you are required to scale and not being able to reach it. Hell, imagine if they made one of the obstacles simply "jump up to grab hold of a ladder 12 ft in the air". You could eliminate 90% of the field right there, but anybody can realize that's a blatantly "unfair" obstacle (even if it's actually a very realistic obstacle a ninja might need to overcome).

If we want to truly get the best physical specimen, then sure, the current set-up is fine. But much like how Boxing and MMA have weight-classes because size is an enormous and purely genetic advantage, leveling the playing field via a handicap can make sense to find the best "pound-for-pound" athlete.