Tuesday, June 29, 2010

"Maybe they can give him something to settle him down"



"Maybe they can give him something to settle him down" - Indignation by Philip Roth

8 comments:

Joan Elizabeth said...

Here we call people who stand out of the crowd "tall poppies" and it is almost a national sport cutting them back down to size.

Ratzfatz said...

agree with Joan ... that is more or less, the same ... what I thought.
Nice pic

Markus Spring said...

Martina, this is priceless! And don't ever doubt my verdict about your 'dry humour'. I am still giggling...

Martina said...

Joan Elizabeth, Ratzfatz: but ... everything is boring without "tall poppies" ... imagine this barley field without the ... whatever it is. I would not have bothered taking a photo.

There is a wikipedia article about tall poppies syndrome - something I have never heard of until now btw.

The term originates from accounts in Aristotle's Politics (Book 5, Chapter 10) and Livy's History of Rome, Book I. Aristotle wrote: "Periander advised Thrasybulus by cutting the tops of the tallest ears of corn, meaning that he must always put out of the way the citizens who overtop the rest."

Markus, okaay. But now I am under a lot of pressure ... 8-)

paulboo said...

Don't know where Joan is but it is the same here!! It doesn't do to be different, to stand out in a crowd!!

Martina said...

Uncle Boo, wikipedia says "Tall poppy syndrome (TPS) is a pejorative term used in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand". But not only the term but the syndrome, too.
Strange, eh?

paulboo said...

It is or should I say was used here a lot but I haven't heard it used for a many years now!!

ruma said...

I seem to hear the heart beating of the Earth.
I feel their throbbing pulse. . .

I am glad by your visit to the Far East.

ruma

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