Trading and Tall Poppy Syndrome

TALL POPPIES, LUCKY BREAKS, AND THE CULTURE OF SUCCESS

“It is not enough for me to succeed; my friends must fail.” The saying has been attributed to figures as diverse as Genghis Khan and Gore Vidal—two personalities who could hardly be further apart. Yet, whoever first said it captured a sentiment that exists in Australia.

Where Americans often celebrate their peers’ achievements with applause, Australians tend to reach for the pruning shears. We call it tall poppy syndrome: the cultural habit of cutting people down to size the moment they grow taller than the rest.

The Australian Discomfort with Success

In Australia, success often invites suspicion. The narrative runs something like this: if I am not successful, then you must have cheated, been lucky, or compromised your integrity to get ahead. It is rarely assumed that someone succeeded because they worked harder, persevered longer, or executed better.

For women, this dynamic is often even harsher. A successful man may be accused of having “lucked out” or played dirty, but a successful woman is usually told—explicitly or implicitly—that she didn’t get there on her own. The assumption lingers that her partner must have helped her, or that she benefited from advantages outside her control. This quiet form of sexism undermines women’s accomplishments and reinforces the belief that female success is conditional rather than earned.

Better, it seems, to assume someone was “carried” than to confront the possibility that she achieved more through her own determination and talent. It is another way tall poppy syndrome manifests—by undermining not just success itself, but who is even allowed to own it.

The Role of Luck vs. Execution

Of course, luck does play a role. Bill Gates happened to attend one of the few high schools in America with access to a computer in the 1970s. Elon Musk’s early ventures were boosted by timing and fortunate connections. But luck is rarely the whole story.

What separates the merely lucky from the enduringly successful is the ability to execute, to persevere when others falter, and to keep showing up long after the initial spark has faded. Relative success—the kind that distinguishes you from your peers—comes not from fortune but from tenacity.

And yet, many people remain blind to this. They wait for lightning to strike, then sneer when others build their own fire. When their lottery ticket doesn’t pay off, they turn their resentment outward.

A Tale of Two Cultures

Compare this to America. Many aspects of American culture can feel brash, exhausting, and even repellent under the current climate. However, one quality stands out: the sheer positivity with which success is received.

Recently, I scrolled through the social media feed of an American guest speaker we’re hosting at our final Boardroom meeting. The tone was overwhelmingly encouraging. Comment after comment: “Congratulations!” “So well deserved!” “Proud of you!” The default is to cheer someone else on.

Try the same experiment on a local thread, and the contrast is stark. Cynicism, mockery, or thinly veiled envy often drown out any genuine applause.

Lessons for Traders (and Everyone Else)

This attitude has significant consequences, particularly in domains such as trading. Many aspiring traders give up at their first drawdown, unwilling to accept that setbacks are part of the game. They confuse one bad week with personal failure and walk away bitter, often blaming the system or the market rather than their own lack of resilience.

But here’s the truth: trading, like life, has good days and bad days. Success belongs to those who can withstand the sting of failure without internalising it. The thicker the skin, the fatter the wallet.

As the old line goes: attitude determines altitude. If you see others’ achievements as a threat, you’ll never find your own. But if you can learn to view success—yours and others’ alike—as proof of what’s possible, then the ceiling lifts.

A Closing Reflection

Australia prides itself on fairness, on cutting down the tall poppies to keep the field even. But fairness shouldn’t mean mediocrity. True fairness is applauding the one who worked harder, persisted longer, and dared more.

The American tendency to cheer success might feel overblown at times, but it creates an environment where striving is not only acceptable—it’s encouraged. We could borrow a little of that spirit.

Because in the end, trading, business, and life all reward the same qualities: courage, persistence, and the discipline to keep going when others quit. Envy and cynicism build nothing. Encouragement and resilience build everything.

Author: Chris Tate

Source: Tradinggame.com.au