Let’s imagine hypothetically there is some circuit genetically encoded in every human’s brain that gives +10% probability of agreeing with someone if they are a tall male.
Let’s also imagine hypothetically that in many situations, the speed and strength of consensus itself has value beyond the quality of the decision reached, so eg. quickly reaching a strong consensus on the 2nd-best solution would be better than fighting a drawn-out battle to reach a strained consensus on the best solution.
In this (very hypothetical) world, it’s optimal to favour, by some amount, tall males over higher-performing non-tall-males.
I was pondering this recently and I wondered if ones relationship with their father as a small child impacts this effect as well. If as a kid one looked up to their father, literally, and had positive interactions, well that's some pretty deeply ingrained feedback loops there. Yes this is pop psych nonsense, but one does wonder.
The cynical side of me says it's one's hindbrain may be subconsciously whispering "This person is bigger than I am and could beat me to death, it's better not to antagonize them, or 'compete' with them in any way. They look like they'll always be on the winning side, so that's where I'll be".
Let’s also imagine hypothetically that in many situations, the speed and strength of consensus itself has value beyond the quality of the decision reached, so eg. quickly reaching a strong consensus on the 2nd-best solution would be better than fighting a drawn-out battle to reach a strained consensus on the best solution.
In this (very hypothetical) world, it’s optimal to favour, by some amount, tall males over higher-performing non-tall-males.