Tall poppy syndrome

Tall poppy syndrome is a term which originated in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980s that refers to people with notable public success, who excessively promote their own achievements and opinions.

[3] The phrase "tall poppies" originates from Livy's account[4] of the tyrannical Roman king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus.

In Australia and New Zealand, "cutting down the tall poppy" is sometimes used by business entrepreneurs to describe those who deliberately criticise other people for their success and achievements.

[10][11] Interest in the effects of Tall Poppy Syndrome became reinvigorated in 2021 following the suicide of entrepreneur Jake Millar, who had received negative media coverage surrounding one of his start-up companies.

[14][15][16] In the Netherlands, this expression is "don't put your head above ground level" (boven het maaiveld uitsteken), with the cultural phenomenon being named maaiveldcultuur.