Tall poppy syndrome
The tall poppy syndrome is a cultural phenomenon in which people hold back, criticise, or sabotage those who have or are believed to have achieved notable success in one or more aspects of life, particularly intellectual or cultural wealth — "cutting down the tall poppy".[1] It describes a draw towards mediocrity and conformity.
Commonly in Australia and New Zealand, "cutting down the tall poppy" is used to describe those who deliberately put down another for their success and achievements, due to one's own insecurities.[1][2]
In Japan, a similar common expression is "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down".[citation needed]
Etymology[]
The concept originates from accounts in Herodotus' Histories (Book 5, 92f), Aristotle's Politics (1284a), and Livy's Ab Urbe Condita Libri, Book I,[3][non-primary source needed] with reversed roles, referring to Periander's advice to Thrasybulus via a herald.
The specific reference to poppies occurs in Livy's account of the tyrannical Roman king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. He is said to have received a messenger from his son Sextus Tarquinius asking what he should do next in Gabii, since he had become all-powerful there. Rather than answering the messenger verbally, Tarquin went into his garden, took a stick, and symbolically swept it across his garden, thus cutting off the heads of the tallest poppies that were growing there. The messenger, tired of waiting for an answer, returned to Gabii and told Sextus what he had seen. Sextus realised that his father wished him to put to death all of the most eminent people of Gabii, which he then did.[4][non-primary source needed]
See also[]
- Negative selection (politics)
- Law of Jante
- Leveling mechanism
References[]
- ^ a b Peeters, Bert (1 January 2004). "Tall poppies and egalitarianism in Australian discourse: From key word to cultural value". English World-Wide. 25 (1): 1–25. doi:10.1075/eww.25.1.02pee. ISSN 0172-8865.
- ^ Kennedy, Jeffrey (2007). "Leadership and Culture in New Zealand". In Chhokar, Jagdeep; Brodbeck, Felix; House, Robert (eds.). Culture and Leadership Across the World: The GLOBE Book of In-Depth Studies of 25 Societies. United States: Psychology Press. p. 399. ISBN 978-0-8058-5997-3.
- ^ Rackham, H. (1944). Aristotle in 23 Volumes. 21. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
- ^ Livius, Titus. "The Earliest Legends: 1.54". The History of Rome, Vol. I. University of Virginia Library: Electronic Text Center.
Further reading[]
- Garland, Douglas (2020). "The Tall Poppy Syndrome: Modern Guide to an Ancient Metaphor" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R7YCC72
- Feather, N. T. (1989). "Attitudes towards the high achiever: The fall of the tall poppy". Australian Journal of Psychology. 41 (3): 239–267. doi:10.1080/00049538908260088.
- O'Neill, Thomas M. Tall Poppy Syndrome: Bentham's Utilitarianism in Australia (PDF). Viterbo University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
- Peeters, Bert (2004). "Tall poppies and egalitarianism in Australian discourse" (PDF). English World-Wide. 25 (1): 1–25. doi:10.1075/eww.25.1.02pee. ISSN 0172-8865. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
External links[]
- The dictionary definition of tall poppy at Wiktionary
- Flogging the tall-poppy syndrome
- Australian culture
- Canadian culture
- New Zealand culture
- Political terminology
- Sociological terminology
- Social status
- Lucius Tarquinius Superbus