The Tall Poppy Syndrome: The Joy of Cutting Others Down

by Doug Garland

A Tall Poppy, in Australian terms, is someone noticeably successful as defined by wealth, prestige, prowess, rank or even birth that may attract hostility, envious attention, or malevolence. Some people holding this Tall Poppy person in contempt may attempt to cause failure or disgrace by “cutting” him or her “down to size”; thus causing their target to be “tall-poppied” as a victim of the “Tall Poppy Syndrome” (TPS). Awareness of TPS is rarely noted in the United States despite being documented in most countries using various metaphors, words, or phrases. For the English-speaking world, reviewing research from Australia and New Zealand, where the Tall Poppy Syndrome is a national pastime, is crucial to understanding the metaphor. Once we grasp the metaphor, a brief study of where it originated exemplifies the drama that has played out time and again through history. The Penguin Book of Australian Slang states a Tall Poppy is “a very important person; an influential person; a person with status—often held in contempt by others, who try to bring about this person’s downfall or ruin.” This description omits conspicuousness from TPS and changes hostility and envy to contempt. Here, a TP is an important person with some negative connotations. The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English (1997) defines Tall Poppy Syndrome as “the habit of denigrating or ‘cutting down’ those who are successful, high achievers, etc.” This describes the successful Tall Poppy without negative connotations toward the Tall Poppy or the cutter. The wordings of these definitions have contributed to persistent confusion in Australia and will be problematic in the United States as TPS becomes more recognized here. Notice the use of negative words such as conspicuously, envious, hostility, contempt, downfall, ruin, and denigrating. We might assume TPS, TPs, and cutters are never good. As clarified in the introduction, however, good and bad forms of each exist, and TPs are not necessarily well known. A look at the understanding of TPS through the years reveals that the definitions have not kept up with evolving connotations. Nationally, America is politically divided between two main groups but within this division are other potentially divisive tribes. The 2018 election for the House of Representatives illustrates this division - 125 representatives are now women (this is good but it is the shift we are interested in). The days of the white male who served in the military began to disappear with the Presidency of Bill Clinton. Of the 34 new Democratic house women, one-third are people of the first two Native Americans; the first two Muslims - a Somali-American and a Palestinian-American as well as five African-Americans. The present diversity creates competition with other groups until all feel they have gained equal constitutional individual rights. Early immigrants were Western and Eastern European with many similar moral judgments; the present groups' judgments are more dissimilar and help create the divide. There has always been income inequality in capitalism but the unequal are now being heard. This national scene has only added to the more personal envy-competition scene of everyday life which includes friends, colleagues, and professionals in the same fields which has dramatically increased simply because of population growth. People are not moving up leaving a greater swath of mass which are equal. In spite of the metaphor, it is really the nearly equal who cut each other down especially as we lose our potential upward mobility... The rise of the group versus the individual, the population growth and the political scene increase the likelihood of opportunities for Tall Poppy Syndrome which has been uncommon in America. This book will aid readers in understanding the dynamics as well as some opportunities to thwart it.

399 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 23, 2020

Reviews

[Brian Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's time to address the elephant in the room.

Too many people never achieve their highest potential for fear of getting tall poppied. It's subtle but is fed by our need to be loved. The greater your achievements, the more likely you are to be tall poppied.

To achieve greater levels of success, it's vital to understand TPS so you can identify it when it happens to avoid letting it pull you down.

Like crabs in a pot, when one tries to escape, the other crabs are quick to pull it back into the pot.

The Tall Poppy Syndrome by Doug Garland is the most comprehensive look at this condition ever written. He invested over five years researching, writing (and rewriting) his book to expose something that the majority of Americans fail to see.

Many of us aspire for greatness. I firmly believe in Maslow's hierarchy of needs - with self-actualization at the top of the pyramid. But unless we acknowledge the existence of TPS in our own lives, the top of Maslow's pyramid will be forever out of reach.

TPS is a book the world needs now more than ever. With the rise of cancel culture and social media, we are undermining the efforts of those who seek to take our society beyond its current state and take human evolution further.

An example of TPS at a personal level

I like many others in our post-covid world have recommitted myself to living a healthier lifestyle. One that entails better nutrition and more exercise. As a result, I'm working with a nutritionist and making exercise a high priority. I've cut out alcohol and am sleeping better than I have in years. I've already lost 5 pounds, have more energy, and am thinking clearer.

As a result, those who are close to me are uncomfortable with this 'new Brian.' Maybe it's that they didn't think anything was wrong before, but it was to me. While at first supportive of my lifestyle changes, they've grown resentful. They feel that I'm beginning to pontificate my way as the right way, which is interpreted that their way is wrong.

Sure, it would be wonderful if the whole world thought as I did - but that'll never be the case. My decision to 'level up' is my own, but in the process, those closest to me are uncomfortable.

This reveals why TPS is most prevalent in our tribes. You've most likely experienced yourself when a close friend gets a new job, a new partner, or achieves an audacious goal.

In the end, as someone who is experiencing TPS firsthand, my advice is that you acknowledge that it's a part of human nature. You can use it as an opportunity to practice empathy for those who might be emotionally putting pressure on you to come back down. Put yourself in their shoes.

[Jjean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was all new to me, yet has been around always - Not an easy book for me to read but so well researched, you understand what TPS really means and how many different ways it affects everyone, one way or another -" you may recognize some of your own emotions " which would help you grow - interesting novel of an ancient metaphor that is still used.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for our times. If you ever wondered where "cancel culture " comes from,
this book gives a historical perspective that will show the reader that it has been around since the early Greeks. Throughout history, as shown by the author, destroying the most successful among us has been the goal of many that are the "small poppies ".

Sheila Brzica

[Cathey Laughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Informative

I read this book in about 2 days & found it quite enlightening. So many people throughout human history cut down by envious opponents & many did not deserve it! For example, President Donald Trump deserved our empathy but many don’t have the grace & love to dish it out.

[Rose Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the historical examples Dr. Garland used to illustrate the tall poppy syndrome. So many personal events that I have witnessed make more sense now as far as motivation. Highly recommend this book.