celebrating success. learning from legends. growing poppies.
A dangerous social affliction coined Tall Poppy Syndrome runs in parallel to all great accomplishments in any given community. It is a perceived tendency to discredit or disparage those who have achieved notable feats, contributed to extraordinary moments, or achieved prominence in public life. aka ‘cutting down the tall poppy.’ On Tall Poppy Talk, our purpose is to digest how this social syndrome impacts our understanding of pride and self-advocacy & we work to encourage admiration + praise for ourselves and others.
Tall Poppy Talk:
The focus of this project is driven from a personal desire to have powerful conversations with people I admire. To address commonly shared feelings of imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and external judgement. More importantly, to understand how others engage with their mental health in parallel to pursuing their physical, academic, or career goals. We can learn a lot about ourselves and from each other if we allow ourselves the opportunity to genuinely listen.
Tall Poppy Syndrome:
This figurative language – Tall Poppy – is used to illustrate individuals who ‘rise’ above their peers. The ‘Syndrome’ component represents the negative social dialogue taking place while these poppies are growing + rising.
Tall Poppy Syndrome it is an experience individuals participate in from both the receiving and giving end; with the many impacts of this syndrome shared and fostered across communities.
Tall poppies are those people of genuine merit who are talented + successful, and as a result of this syndrome, their communities feel compelled to chop them down.
This compulsion to devalue or discredit someone’s accomplishment or lifestyles is caused by many factors, and Tall Poppy Syndrome is overwhelmingly prominent in England, Australia and New Zealand. The syndrome may be known in these countries but Tall Poppy Syndrome is inherit across the global society.
All the brilliant lessons these Tall Poppies could share is unquantifiable in value. Lets encourage + praise the exchange of knowledge from these legends and hope it inspires each of us to pursue wholeheartedly our ambitions, regardless of what they may be. Further, lets be proud of our peers and celebrate their successes.
Please enjoy, share feedback & be kind.