Tall poppy syndrome

 What is Tall Poppy Syndrome?

It is a social phenomenon—especially common in countries like New Zealand and Australia—where people who achieve success, stand out, or show confidence are "cut down" or criticised, resented, or mocked for it. The idea is that no one should rise "too high above the rest," like a tall poppy in a field of shorter ones.


In other words:

  • It discourages individual excellence if it's perceived as boasting or "getting too big for your boots."

  • People might hide their success or downplay their achievements to avoid judgment or jealousy.

  • It can be internalised too—leading people to self-sabotage or play small to stay accepted.

Examples:

  • A Kiwi entrepreneur avoids sharing her business wins because she's worried people will think she’s “up herself.”

  • A student who gets top marks might be teased rather than celebrated.

    This behaviour is not okay at all and using cognitive behavioural therapy techniques can help this issue.

    This where I can help you with that.

    Want more follow me on instagram! 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Importance of Going After your goal You Want

Image
 Importance of achieving goals  My dream came true!  Experiencing self-doubt is part of being human. It is easy to automatically assume you are not good enough, not talented, or not skilled enough to dream big or get the outcome you want. But I did it! I made my dream happen in the music industry. To assume other people’s  dreams  come true, but not yours. I think this can be especially true for those in a minority group including people with chronic health concerns or a disability. Regardless of my health condition I still did make it happen.  You may not achieve a goal simply because you tried and worked hard, but if you don’t try you will not even have the possibility of reaching your goal. The act of taking values-based action, regardless of the outcome is beneficial. It is motivating and vitalizing to know you are taking steps toward something meaningful to you. While it is nice to get the outcome you want, I find there is a sense of satisfaction and p...
Read more

Building a resilient child

Image
  As much as we would love to shield our kids from the harder parts of life, sadly we can’t keep them from facing challenges, big and small. I believe it is important to teach kids how to handle challenges in life like I did. What we can do, however, is teach our kids the skills of resilience. I’ve been through a lot as a child and lost a sibling through suicide in 1995 and there was nothing for children back in 1995 they swept it under the carpet but it’s important we actually learn ways to overcome these traumatic experiences. Resilience is what helps us humans cope when times get tough. Although the term ‘ resilience ’ is talked about a lot these days, it’s not always well understood. It doesn’t mean simply putting on a brave face or learning not to care about what happens to us. It means facing the negative situations with courage. It’s about being able to recognise that some things in life are hard. And it’s ok to have big feelings about that.  When we can accept our fee...
Read more

How to move on from setbacks

Image
  How to move on from setbacks Bounce back better with these 5 science-backed strategies None of us sail through life without some drama. Sure, it can feel like some people experience more hardship than others but think about the people you know. Really know. Chances are, most of them struggle with something. The best we can do is work on how we respond to challenges. These science-backed strategies are a good place to start. 1. Acceptance This doesn't mean you agree with the situation, but you can acknowledge it as your current reality. This helps you to stop dwelling on what could have been and start moving towards what can be. 2. Let go of the past Holding onto disappointment and tragedy for example suicidal death of a loved one. It only keeps you stuck. One technique you might like to try is writing down negative thoughts in a journal. Sometimes seeing it on paper or a journal can help you examine it more objectively. - this is used in life coaching known as cognitive behaviour...
Read more