19: Does Tall Poppy Syndrome hold you back?

TALL POPPY SYNDOME. Be excellent. But be quiet about it.   Australia has a strong preference for or even culture of humility. We don't like it when people think a lot of themselves … Even if they've got a lot of good stuff to think about. Being humble is the expectation. And bragging is perhaps the worst offence.    We even have a name for the cultural quirk: THE TALL POPPY SYNDROME.   The Tall Poppy Syndrome refers to our tendency to criticise successful people. Knowing this tendency, we form fears of loudly successful or standing out for any good reason because we have the fear that we will be criticised - we'll be cut down. It's not necessarily something we do consciously, but often something we have learned implicitly and we see play out in our decisions and behaviour.     For some of us, even just THINKING a good thought about yourself can evoke feelings of bragging. Let alone SPEAKING it.  And 'bragging' is certainly a dangerous thing if it makes you stand out as a Tall Poppy.   This actually presents a challenge for people in medicine. Many of us have learned these sentiments on our way to medicine:    Meritocracy: if you just work hard, you will be rewarded  Tall Poppy: if you stand out as successful, you will be criticised   Together: work hard and be quiet about it.  Don't think positively about yourself. … And, eventually, if you just work hard enough, you'll be rewarded or anointed.    Recipe for prosperity and a happy life? Not quite.    In this episode, we talk about our experiences with Tall Poppy Syndrome, the way that it disadvantages us and how we choose to think about success and humility instead.    We are so happy that you've tuned into this episode. We think it would be a sad thing for people like you to not recognise the value you have to offer in this lifetime. Not just because the world will miss out on it, but also because of the joy that it will rob you of.   Do you see TALL POPPY SYNDROME in your life? What did you learn about the dangers of bragging or standing out? Tell us your thoughts and experiences. 

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