Australia has a strange cultural quirk that we rarely stop to question. If you achieve very little, if you are unemployed, unmotivated, or simply struggling, society is quick to slap on the label of “lazy.” We are told to be productive, to pull our weight, to “do something with ourselves.” Yet, paradoxically, if you dare to succeed if you work hard, achieve something notable, or gain even the slightest recognition you are often met with another kind of criticism. Suddenly, you’re accused of arrogance. People warn you not to get too full of yourself, not to develop what they call “a big head.”

This contradictory mindset is what we refer to as the “tall poppy syndrome.” The phrase suggests that the tallest flower in the field must be cut back down to size so it doesn’t overshadow the rest. It’s a metaphor deeply ingrained in our national psyche. We’ve built a culture where mediocrity feels safer than ambition, because success attracts scrutiny just as failure attracts pity. The problem is, this leaves little room for people to simply celebrate achievement, theirs or others’. When we diminish someone else’s accomplishment, we’re really revealing our own discomfort with ambition, our own fear of being left behind. It is a cycle that undermines confidence and chips away at our collective sense of progress. So what’s the answer? We can’t control the critics, and there will always be those who want to drag others down. The solution lies in cultivating something far more resilient than public opinion: “intrinsic satisfaction”. The ability to feel content and proud of what you’ve achieved, without needing validation or fearing criticism, is perhaps the greatest armour we can build for ourselves. Ultimately, the aim should be to live in a way where your self-worth is not dependent on applause or protected from criticism. To be internally comfortable, even joyful, regardless of who tries to pull you down. Because the truth is, there will always be voices ready to cut down the tall poppy, but you don’t need to listen.