to think that the UK suffers too much from Tall Poppy Syndrome

[SerenityNowAKABleh]

There is this emphasis on reducing everyone to the lowest common denominator. If people are successful, very often they are demonised or ridiculed. There is this attitude of "know your place", and it can be viewed as rude or crass if you in any way show off success.

So, AIBU?

I dunno, I think it's good to keep some people from being too much up their own arse.

I don't agree with dumbing down things, like if you were talking about reducing all childrens learning to the lowest educational level, but with regards to something like footballers/models who are starting to believe their own publicity, they sometimes need to be taken down a peg or two.

Did you have anything specific in mind?

YANBU. There was a thread on here where someone got flamed for mentioning her family's incoming salary. I doubt she was trying to show off, just wanted to point out how affordable something could be, but people resorted to calling her crass etc. No one would have said she was appearing crass if she had said she was bringing in less than £1000 a month.

Also, look at the current public "criminalisation" of "bankers" (as though they are a single entity ). A lot of it is jealousy, pure and simple. Not that many people are mentioning irresponsible members of the public taking out unaffordable loans, failing to live within their means etc. People are just looking for someone to shift the blame to, instead of examining themselves. The wealthy and successful [bankers] are an easy target, aren't they? It really gets my goat!

On a slightly related note [and as a (previous) HR bod], need I tell people on here that the main reason why and how companies are able to pay people (usually women) much less than their contemporaries (usually men) is PRECISELY because they know that people will not discuss salaries for fear of appearing "crass" and/or prevent them from doing so? My "crassness" towards an ex-colleague in discussing my salary with him resulted in him rightly fighting for and being paid the same rate as me for performing the same job.

Hmmmm I don't think people are ridiculed for being successful, but for being insufficiently self-deprecating about it. We don't tend to like displays of massive wealth and ostentation. Which I don't think is a bad thing really.

It was partly driven by the criminalisation of bankers, as Asana mentioned, and just general annoyance with it.
I'm not a banker, but work in investment banking, in a VERY valuable role to society (but can't go into it here) but have been tarred with the same brush. DP has been shouted at and verbally abused when he said he worked in a bank, again, not as a banker or any such role.

This is also a general comment, not linked to the current economic issues. It is an aspect of British society that I abhor. A good example was that child who won a gold medal for diving, and was bullied horribly at school as a result. There seems to be this ingrained fear of success. In a way, although more "crass", I do prefer the American model of celebrating success.

i don't think its just confined to the uk!!

In some ways, YANBU at all. It is a sad reflection on modern life, that those who do well at school, are kind and work hard, are often bullied and ridiculed as geeks, while the muppets who do badly - disrupting classes, treating teachers like shit, taking drugs - are considered 'cool'.

However, I love the British tendency to be self-depreciating and to knock down those who boast and swagger about their success. Success should not be simply about money and flashing your wad. That's tacky.