to think some people just enjoy pissing on others' chips?

[Pollis]

Overheard a conversation at work today where one of my colleagues who is aiming for 10k steps a day was saying she'd managed to do this every day last week. Cue another colleague saying this is the bare minimum and she should be doing more. Reminds me of the time my best friend lost weight to fit into a size 12 to be told by her own mother that a size 12 was a size 16 in yesteryear and that she was still "quite overweight".

It's just mean, surely?! What makes people say things like that?

I have noticed this quite a lot, and have come to the conclusion it is jealousy. Or as a means of not “letting someone get above themselves.” Really deflating to be on the end of it.

Yes! So many people like this? Is it tall poppy syndrome?

I tend to keep my goals much more private now so noone can shoot it down.

It's jealousy

Some people can't feel good about themselves unless they feel superior to others in some way. Thus they feel threatened when they hear about someone's achievements, so they automatically try to calm that threat by voicing that the achievement isn't that good. It's sad, really.

Jealousy and inadequacy

I know someone just like this. It's exhausting and deflating.

Yeah, some people really like to put others down. Nasty.

The 10k step thing is nonsense really. It was just a figure plucked out of the air by some exercise guru some time ago and it's stuck. So no it isn't a 'minimum' so nasty colleague is wrong about that.

But it's a good thing to aim for and if you can do it it's hell of a lot better than sitting on your bum all day

Oh yes. If you’ve been to Tenerife they’ve been to Elevenerife.

You've met my mother then? I used to consider what had made her so bitter and spiteful, but now I actually don't care. I just choose to avoid her.

People who are happy with their own life don't make others feel bad. The people I know who put others down have a very low sense of personal self worth.

Yup, jealousy and a particularly spiteful way of boosting their own self esteem.

I read the other day that ‘jealousy is admiration gone rotten’ which makes it slightly easier to be on the receiving end of and useful for introspection.