I start with a good word. When you see one of us rise, you want to tear it down because you feel inadequate and your only desire is for that inadequacy to be perceived as modesty. Adesanya
There has always been a time when you made a big or small improvement in your environment and your light shined in a different tone on a subject. If you are surrounded by a sincere wholeness; Every sentence, every support, every criticism keeps you going further. However, on the contrary, it is possible that you will encounter approaches that may cause you to be intimidated and hinder your development.
For example, you have achieved a significant rise in your workplace and you want to share it with all your motivation. Just as you describe your joy beautifully; someone corrects a wrong word when you speak, or that your success is simply due to your work without rest or sleep; he explains with all his humility that he could do the same if he could renounce sleep. Sometimes you get off topic and make sarcastic allusions to your outfit choices, and sometimes your success isn't even congratulated and ignored just to be trivialized.
And after being exposed to these behaviors, maybe you decide not to show your heightened value, success, or that developed side of your personality any more. your enthusiasm; it has been systematically filed and your process of becoming ordinary and adapting to the medium has been successfully completed. This cycle is for people who are ahead of their surroundings in certain areas; It is a phenomenon that continues to live in schools, universities, workplaces and social circles.
“Tall Weasel Syndrome”, a term frequently used in Australia and New Zealand, actually describes what happens during this ordinaryization process and finds its expression when people are attacked, disliked, criticized or humiliated because of their achievements or their outstanding talents. People who are belittled, intimidated and offended by their success and ambitions may lose their self-confidence and their progress may be hampered by the fear of being the subject of potential ridicule.
The Tall Weasel Syndrome is etymologically rooted in a story that took place in the sixth century BC. Sextus, son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, a fierce Roman King, sends a messenger to ask his father "what he should do." Sextus has become quite powerful in the Gabii region and seeks advice from his father. Rather than answering the messenger verbally, Tarquinius goes to his garden, grabs a pruning stick and hurls it at the poppies. So he cuts off the heads of the tallest poppies growing there. Unable to get a verbal response, the messenger turns to Gabii and tells Sextus what he saw. Sextus realizes that his father wants Gabii to kill his most competent people, and he does so. This story; It is also described in the books of Aristotle and Herodotus.
In the 1980s, a study was conducted by selecting 1,531 students in South Australian high schools. The reactions of this group of subjects regarding the setbacks experienced by high-achieving students were evaluated. With the results, the subjects; Researchers found that high achievers were satisfied with their decline, and after a high success, they thought to be more friendly to those people by decreasing the average scale. Studies conducted at Australian universities in the same period also revealed that those who have negative attitudes towards successful people have low self-esteem and give less importance to the values related to the concept of success.
So, in what situations do we realize that we are being intimidated or that we are putting this pressure on someone? The following responses will be familiar to most of us:
To say that the person featured is just lucky.
Pointing out minor or unrelated flaws in his face.
Exclude from a particular group.
Refusing to cooperate.
Sting with sly words.
Making jealous.
Constantly looking for fault.
Most of the time, you may not be aware that you have "tall ferret syndrome". Some key indicators include:
Don't be afraid to share new ideas.
Losing ambition and not pursuing goals.
Fear that your success will offend your peers.
Letting go of your goals so you don't stand out from the herd.
Talking about your achievements to others, or even yourself, as if it were a negative phenomenon.
Don't be afraid to celebrate success.
criticize or undermine those who display their difference, originality, ambition and unique talents; creates a cluster of fear and anger. These disjointed hate-based clusters tear society apart. We need to rethink how we view the success we see in ourselves and others. Because almost all the time, we are alternately both the one creating the negative reaction and the one subject to the same kind of reaction. Instead of pushing people to step forward, we need to figure out how we can make room for them to thrive and let the community witness great work without being deprived of it. The more people turn inward and develop their own creativity, the better the chances of becoming a functioning society.
What approach should we take?
1- Contrary to popular belief, there is no limited amount of success on earth. The rise of another neither diminishes nor destroys the slice of the pie of other members of society. On the contrary, with development, the pie becomes even bigger. The success of those around us increases our own success and abilities; does not limit them. That's why we should always keep our perspective wide so that doing creative work does not cause guilt or shame on people.
2- It is important to regain the state of “Fairness”. Success is not a predefined destiny. Sometimes, because of this fatalistic understanding, it may be decided that you don't need further promotions or that you don't fit the mold. The mediocrity imposed by these common ideas; people who do not comply with the norms accepted by the society by heart; It makes you feel misunderstood or blocked. The more progressive approach; it's about providing everyone with a "fair way" to continue their work and reveal their own talents.
3- If you started to doubt yourself while taking a step forward, it would be appropriate to perceive it as a symptom of "Long Weasel Syndrome". Awareness allows you to distinguish data that will hinder your development and to come out with less damage from outside interventions. The way to reverse doubt is to try to understand how a situation can be used to your advantage rather than to your detriment.
4- The “value” inherent in sharing ideas and speaking should be accepted and space should be opened for it. Although humility is a virtue; A creative person may choose not to talk about their work because their opportunities are limited. This type of silencing also has devastating effects in the collective sphere. communication between people; Flowing around the ideas of feeding, supporting, and rising together, rather than ego wars, will bring social life to a better point in a holistic sense.
5- Instead of actually doing something, we should stop wasting time doubting ourselves or avoiding doing something new and different. Ultimately, it comes from feeling suppressed by the tall ferret syndrome, worrying about what "everyone" will think. So who is this feared “everyone”? We create the question and answer to the question of who everyone is. Figure out who the people who really matter to you are.
It would be wise to make this analysis according to the reactions given to you and the attitudes towards you such as sincerity and goodwill. If you get through this part by knowing yourself and daring to be yourself, it's time to roll up your sleeves and start doing whatever it is. In other words, staying at work is the best antidote to anxiety. You really have to come forward and say who you are and what you do. Develop awareness of the reactions around you and distinguish between genuine comments and sarcastic comments. The only thing to focus on is "being yourself"
