It's a common experience in our lives that whenever we mention with joy some extraordinary feat of ours or our children, the majority of listeners will downplay it by either picking holes in the achievement or mentioning similar success of theirs or some of their acquaintances being absolutely anonymous to us. It leaves a bad taste in our mouths and we regret sharing the happy news with them.
Such negative remarks become all the more pungent when such people happen to be close relatives, friends or teachers. Children get smothered by such indifference from people who are expected to shower kudos on children's achievements. These people have an uncanny knack for mouthing discouraging one-liners at the right time and at the right spot.
This behaviour reflects a phenomenon known as tall poppy syndrome (TPS) - a tendency to criticise, undermine or resent those who achieve notable success, particularly when their achievements make them stand out. The term "tall poppy" entered modern lexicon in the 1980s via Australian slang, 'a metaphor of something conspicuous that should be lopped'.
In a field of poppies, part of what makes it so beautiful is that the flowers grow to the same height, presenting a "soothing" uniformity. When a poppy stands way above the others, it ruins the sight line, begs for its own attention instead of blending into the group. 'Cut down the tall poppy' clamours around it.
People suffering from TPS exhibit crab mentality: a term used to describe people who try to stop others from doing well. The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.
Social comparison theory explains TPS as a response to perceived threats to self-esteem. Envy and insecurity drive individuals to diminish others' success to restore "equilibrium". Cutting down tall poppies is a defence mechanism against feelings of inadequacy which leads to aberrant behaviours such as schadenfreude. However, this risks normalising mediocrity and stifling ambition.
The Tallest Poppy 2023, the first international study of its kind, records shocking findings: 77% of women face downplaying of their achievements at workplaces; 60.5% of respondents believe they will be penalised if they are perceived as ambitious at work; 75% agreed that being tall-poppied impacted their productivity and 77.5% said it created a culture of distrust.
As classrooms shape the leaders of tomorrow, fostering an environment that encourages success without resentment is imperative. In a milieu infested with TPS, talented students may deliberately lower their performance to blend in. In some cases, educators may unconsciously downplay a student's achievements to mitigate the threats to their own expertise and authority. Here, TPS introduces students to a paradox: the desire for success clashing with the fear of standing out.
In campus politics, low performing teachers leave no stone unturned to downplay the achievements of high performing teachers. The former hatch conspiracies to deprive the latter of their due accolades from the high-ups. They fawn upon the high-ups to get the extra tasks, difficult subjects and unruly classes delegated to the performers.
Overcoming TPS requires a mindset shift, both individually and societally, towards celebrating success as a source of inspiration rather than resentment. The if-others-can-do-I-can-also-do attitude can save one from nurturing negativities like TPS. On the other hand, if we believe our contributions benefit both ourselves and others, whether for personal growth or societal good, we have nothing to lose by standing tall.
In fact, TPS reflects others' insecurities, not our value or worth. Focus must be directed on internal validation instead of external approval which is quite in vogue among the pliers of socials. We must shift the narrative by celebrating the success of others and leading by example.
Though one may succeed in hindering or belittling our achievements, moral victory sides with us as his malice deepens his insecurities while we gain felicity from the fruition of our sincere efforts.
An aside: By the way, who is the tall poppy in Pakistani politics these days?
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