Australia the penal colony and the tall poppy syndrome ( Archived) (22)

The tall poppy syndrome is alive and well in Australia and this is a classic example of it. According to golfer Greg Norman, the tall poppy syndrome indicates jealousy of someone else's success. Norman explains that if someone in America bought a sports car, then other Americans would say “nice car”. However, if someone in Australia bought a sports car, other Australians would scratch it.

So why does a crushed Barina elicit more sympathy than a crushed Porsche? Why does the owner of the Porsche somehow deserve this bad luck and why is it often assumed that he can only afford a Porsche because he fiddles his tax returns?

Still today the best that you can do for someone is to “give ‘em a fair go” and the ‘Aussie battler' is celebrated as someone who may not ever win, but who will face any adversity and never give up trying. Australians' frequent support of the underdog in everything from sport to business to politics (and particularly in the union movement) celebrates the idea of people who just keep on trying and who would rather be a ‘battler' than a ‘tall poppy'!
Most Australians will tell you that a ‘tall poppy' is someone who has an inflated sense of self worth.
Many expats and migrants will tell you, as though determined to avoid that situation, that they find Australians are fairly reluctant to offer praise for a job well done. Unlike America where individual achievements are encouraged from a very early age, the culture in Australia is very much one of teamwork and mateship – an ‘all for one and one for all' kind of society. Achievements are of most value when they benefit the team, not the individual, and new players may find it helpful to be modest about achievements and to downplay their successes.

Clearly the spirit of competition is alive and well here, but perhaps with an exception of not being too successful? In many ways, this is partly what contributes to Australia's laid back lifestyle, but it is also a source of frustration for many newcomers to the country. If high achievers are actually allowed to show what's possible, without getting knocked for it, it means the bar is raised for everyone else too and that's not to everyone's liking. In Australia people work to live, they don't live to work; work is very much seen as something you do to fund your lifestyle and if you have to spend eight to 10 hours a day in the office, then it had better be a relaxed place to work. Talking and joking with colleagues, having time out in the office kitchen or during Friday night drinks are sacred work practices here and it's important to join your colleagues in them if you want to be accepted here. Australia really is a land of opportunity, but whatever success you enjoy, just don't boast about it.

It's probably genetic

This attitude is not indiginous to Australia. There were a lot of generalisations made in that statement that I don't agree with. The statements about Americans in general were not accuarate either.

Thanks. Too tired to try again.

Wow! doesnt sound like any Ozzie Ive ever met