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Abetter question would be - when is it NOT ok to be a tall poppy? There is a mentality among some parts of the country, a throwback to the days of class society, that says you shouldn't have ideas above your station. Australia, a nation founded by cast-offs from this section of society, has this idea deeply entrenched in its soul. In Australian culture, heroes are the ones who stay true to their roots, the 'true-blue' Aussies. You can be an actor, war hero, sportsman or murderer - so long as you're true blue, we love ya. The worst thing you can be in Australia is a snob.
At the risk of being called such, I believe that mentality is total ignorant garbage. Seriously. If it's snobbery to think you're better at something than someone else, what are you supposed to do if you actually are? Pretend you're not so you don't offend anybody? Modesty is one thing, but dumbing yourself down to be acceptable is wrong. Acceptable to whom? If it's more important to other people that you fit in than reach your potential, are these the kind of people you need in your life?
From the moment you're born, people are lining up to impress upon you the idea that you can be anything you want. That's nice, and it has the added bonus of being true. But you soon discover that if following your dreams involves something other than sport or one of the few other culturally approved pursuits, you're going to have to go somewhere else to do it. Which means you are confronted with a choice to stay and make the best of it or to go follow your calling. Through the frame of Australian culture as a whole, if you choose to go, but manage to stay 'true blue', you're a hero. If you go and don't look back, you're a snob and good riddance. It doesn't actually matter what you do or whether you succeed or fail, it only matters what you think about Australia.
This represents a deep and abiding cultural insecurity - a nation's need for constant reassurance to help assuage its low self-esteem. This observation will be hotly denied of course by those who choose not to see the problem. For it is a problem, and an absurd one at that. The truth is Australia is an incredibly blessed country full of natural wonders, amazing people and untapped potential. But as anyone who knows a gifted person with low self-esteem can vouch, it doesn't matter how obviously brilliant they are, low self-esteem will somehow sabotage everything they do. In this light, Australia's obsession with cutting down tall poppies is both understandable and tragic.
The truth is - it is ALWAYS ok to be a tall poppy. Tall poppies show strength, possibility and hope. And yet they are still poppies, true to their roots. We should welcome them and appreciate them, not seek to cut them down at the first opportunity. If we were more accepting towards tall poppies perhaps they would be less suspicious and aloof.
It is the right and indeed the duty of each and every one of us to be the tallest, fullest flowers we can be. What good does it serve others or ourselves if we waste potential that could have been used?
Why should following your dreams mean you have to go elsewhere? Why force people to make that choice? For a small country, Australia produces some of the best and brightest leaders in all sorts of fields. Yet they almost always leave to pursue their careers overseas, simply because there is so little opportunity to do so here. Certainly most would stay if they could. Each time we let one go we let go of a chance to pull ourselves higher as a nation, thereby only reinforcing the same problem.
Australia needs to look forwards. Instead of cutting down tall poppies we should grow to meet them.
