The Snake Theory
Being in the spotlight has never been something I've enjoyed. To be acknowledged and given your flowers sounds nice in theory, but the execution can cause quite the discomfort. At least for me it does. I guess while growing up I learned that having attention on you was a bad thing. Say you get in trouble at school. Not only is the teacher calling you out, but your classmates follow suit with their eyes and oohs. Even if it wasn't anything troublesome being committed on my end, capturing the attention of others (intentional or not) was deemed a form of showing out. I guess that's what they consider to be Tallest Poppy Syndrome. As stated by Robert Gibson, "Tall Poppy Syndrome is a metaphor used to describe the practice of devaluing those who are particularly prominent or proud. It involves the societal inclination to cut down individuals who are experiencing success in larger volumes than what is considered the norm." ...