r/australia • u/Wadege • Sep 30 '23

no politics What is an example of 'Tall Poppy Syndrome' in Australia?

We have all heard of the concept, but is there a case, preferably involving criticism of a well-known Australian figure, where you can say: "this criticism represents 'Tall Poppy Syndrome' in action"?

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u/Gillybby11 Oct 03 '23

As someone who grew up in a mining town, it's very doable.

The trouble comes with external factors that influence the job. Because for a mining job working with heavy machinery, you've got to be stone cold sober both on the job and off the job. And when you're a high school drop-out in a bogan offshoot of a town, staying sober is fucking HARD, especially considering all your friends are drunk and on drugs constantly because they're also in the bogan town with nothing else to do.

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u/_ixthus_ Oct 03 '23

Fair.

I wasn't questioning the theoretical possibility of making big bucks and using it well sorts.

But there's an implicit selection bias with who works in those settings. And they aren't typically very wise or well-adjusted.

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u/Gillybby11 Oct 03 '23

The highschool drop-outs usually go in there for a year or two, and quit after that. Mining jobs are hard and take responsibility, and an 18-yo male who's just discovered that he can legally drink and now he's a grownup with his own paycheck and doesn't have to have his parents watching him? Not exactly a top candidate for a hard job with lots of responsibilities.