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This is an idea that really bugs me. People seem to hate to see success. It is a sad truth, that anywhere someone, or something is doing well, people in a less fortunate position feel resentment to them. I'm not talking about envy. Of course if you see someone doing better you will wish you were in that position. But why do we feel the need to hate them?
I have three examples that spring to mind:
Manchester United - unquestionably the biggest club in England (at the moment), their success is unrivaled in the modern day. They have some of the best players in the country, (including some of the best English players), have conquered Europe, and are the richest club in the world. Yet people hate them. We are not talking about a general wishing that their time would end, people actually loathe them. It is a sad day when people boo England players, representing their country, just because they play for a certain team. Most people forget their club loyalties for those 90 minutes when the Three Lions are playing, but for Man U they make an exception.
America - A rather delicate issue in the present climate, but even before the tragedy of Sept 11th, I can remember going into chat rooms, and the amount of anti-US sentiment was unbelievable. Why? America is probably the driving force of the world economy, it is probably the only remaining superpower, yet uses this power in (generally) a responsible manner.
Microsoft - OK, I know Microsoft take a lot of bashing, as sometimes rightly so. But think about this for a minute. Microsoft has basically given the IT world a standard desktop - somethig all businesses desire. This means that when you buy a new program - be it a game, biz app. or whatever, you can be pretty sure it will run on Windows. By all accounts XP is pretty good, removing a lot of the gripes with 95/98 etc. Yet people complain about a monopoly.
These three examples are probably not the best ones I could have come up with, but they do show my point. Three successful groups, yet despised by the rest. As you can imagine, I don't hate these groups, and find it hard to understand why others do. So come on people, think about why you hate things....lets just love each other!!
I have three examples that spring to mind:
Manchester United - unquestionably the biggest club in England (at the moment), their success is unrivaled in the modern day. They have some of the best players in the country, (including some of the best English players), have conquered Europe, and are the richest club in the world. Yet people hate them. We are not talking about a general wishing that their time would end, people actually loathe them. It is a sad day when people boo England players, representing their country, just because they play for a certain team. Most people forget their club loyalties for those 90 minutes when the Three Lions are playing, but for Man U they make an exception.
America - A rather delicate issue in the present climate, but even before the tragedy of Sept 11th, I can remember going into chat rooms, and the amount of anti-US sentiment was unbelievable. Why? America is probably the driving force of the world economy, it is probably the only remaining superpower, yet uses this power in (generally) a responsible manner.
Microsoft - OK, I know Microsoft take a lot of bashing, as sometimes rightly so. But think about this for a minute. Microsoft has basically given the IT world a standard desktop - somethig all businesses desire. This means that when you buy a new program - be it a game, biz app. or whatever, you can be pretty sure it will run on Windows. By all accounts XP is pretty good, removing a lot of the gripes with 95/98 etc. Yet people complain about a monopoly.
These three examples are probably not the best ones I could have come up with, but they do show my point. Three successful groups, yet despised by the rest. As you can imagine, I don't hate these groups, and find it hard to understand why others do. So come on people, think about why you hate things....lets just love each other!!
This is an idea that really bugs me. People seem to hate to see success. It is a sad truth, that anywhere someone, or something is doing well, people in a less fortunate position feel resentment to them. I'm not talking about envy. Of course if you see someone doing better you will wish you were in that position. But why do we feel the need to hate them?
I have three examples that spring to mind:
Manchester United - unquestionably the biggest club in England (at the moment), their success is unrivaled in the modern day. They have some of the best players in the country, (including some of the best English players), have conquered Europe, and are the richest club in the world. Yet people hate them. We are not talking about a general wishing that their time would end, people actually loathe them. It is a sad day when people boo England players, representing their country, just because they play for a certain team. Most people forget their club loyalties for those 90 minutes when the Three Lions are playing, but for Man U they make an exception.
America - A rather delicate issue in the present climate, but even before the tragedy of Sept 11th, I can remember going into chat rooms, and the amount of anti-US sentiment was unbelievable. Why? America is probably the driving force of the world economy, it is probably the only remaining superpower, yet uses this power in (generally) a responsible manner.
Microsoft - OK, I know Microsoft take a lot of bashing, as sometimes rightly so. But think about this for a minute. Microsoft has basically given the IT world a standard desktop - somethig all businesses desire. This means that when you buy a new program - be it a game, biz app. or whatever, you can be pretty sure it will run on Windows. By all accounts XP is pretty good, removing a lot of the gripes with 95/98 etc. Yet people complain about a monopoly.
These three examples are probably not the best ones I could have come up with, but they do show my point. Three successful groups, yet despised by the rest. As you can imagine, I don't hate these groups, and find it hard to understand why others do. So come on people, think about why you hate things....lets just love each other!!
I have three examples that spring to mind:
Manchester United - unquestionably the biggest club in England (at the moment), their success is unrivaled in the modern day. They have some of the best players in the country, (including some of the best English players), have conquered Europe, and are the richest club in the world. Yet people hate them. We are not talking about a general wishing that their time would end, people actually loathe them. It is a sad day when people boo England players, representing their country, just because they play for a certain team. Most people forget their club loyalties for those 90 minutes when the Three Lions are playing, but for Man U they make an exception.
America - A rather delicate issue in the present climate, but even before the tragedy of Sept 11th, I can remember going into chat rooms, and the amount of anti-US sentiment was unbelievable. Why? America is probably the driving force of the world economy, it is probably the only remaining superpower, yet uses this power in (generally) a responsible manner.
Microsoft - OK, I know Microsoft take a lot of bashing, as sometimes rightly so. But think about this for a minute. Microsoft has basically given the IT world a standard desktop - somethig all businesses desire. This means that when you buy a new program - be it a game, biz app. or whatever, you can be pretty sure it will run on Windows. By all accounts XP is pretty good, removing a lot of the gripes with 95/98 etc. Yet people complain about a monopoly.
These three examples are probably not the best ones I could have come up with, but they do show my point. Three successful groups, yet despised by the rest. As you can imagine, I don't hate these groups, and find it hard to understand why others do. So come on people, think about why you hate things....lets just love each other!!
Two words.
Robbie Williams.
Robbie Williams.
Dammit - knew there was a flaw in my argument somewhere!!
Someone's success reminds someone else of their failings, and nobody likes to be reminded they blew it somehow.
It's a very British thing, the tabloids build someone up and then pull them down, it's "Here, but don't get too successful or we'll get ya!"
To be reminded that you started out with hopes and dreams, and somewhere along the line you lost it and now you settle for the job that allows you to pay the bills instead of what you wanted to do as a kid, is to remind people that they missed their chance.
Of course people are going to resent that.
People are loathe to admit that they got it wrong and accept responsibility for their own lives.
That's why I laugh when I hear people talk about "Fate" or "It wasn't meant to be", when it has nothing to do with some mystical force.
You want something? You go make it happen as best you can.
How many people are doing what they wanted to do as a kid?
Go back in time to yourself as a 7yr old and say
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A fireman!"
"How does account manager for an IT company sound?"
"....fireman"
"Or how's about an input clerk for a major firm somewhere? Sure, you wont achieve much but you'll be comfortable and have a nice car!"
"....fireman"
So you look at someone doing what they want to, being successful and it's a mirror for your own wrong turns and missed chances.
It's a very British thing, the tabloids build someone up and then pull them down, it's "Here, but don't get too successful or we'll get ya!"
To be reminded that you started out with hopes and dreams, and somewhere along the line you lost it and now you settle for the job that allows you to pay the bills instead of what you wanted to do as a kid, is to remind people that they missed their chance.
Of course people are going to resent that.
People are loathe to admit that they got it wrong and accept responsibility for their own lives.
That's why I laugh when I hear people talk about "Fate" or "It wasn't meant to be", when it has nothing to do with some mystical force.
You want something? You go make it happen as best you can.
How many people are doing what they wanted to do as a kid?
Go back in time to yourself as a 7yr old and say
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"A fireman!"
"How does account manager for an IT company sound?"
"....fireman"
"Or how's about an input clerk for a major firm somewhere? Sure, you wont achieve much but you'll be comfortable and have a nice car!"
"....fireman"
So you look at someone doing what they want to, being successful and it's a mirror for your own wrong turns and missed chances.
It is natural. God created every living thing to be born with a sense of jealousy. Who does't like jealous? It's common. One good example is during election periods. One party mocks at the other when it is doing better giving all
sorts of reasons to mislead the voters. As there is a saying, :" A leopard may never change its spots."
sorts of reasons to mislead the voters. As there is a saying, :" A leopard may never change its spots."
Obviously I cant speak for everyone... though, I do find, from the people I know, thats its not the success, more the person.
---
The GingerLord wrote:
Manchester United -
Football Clubs? ... Thats a cheeky option! :)... you see how velhemontly people in here argue about why their SONY/Nintendo/SEGA console is better than the others...
Most people critise Man United light heartedly... they are the club you love to hate... theres no real hatred there...
Although, I understand they are seen as the major commercialising force behind Football, changing it from a sport to an 'overpaid celebrity linup'
(However, I know nothing of football, so how true this is I dont really know!) :)
America -
I suspect that many people would disagree with your opinion of Americas handling of its position of power...
What you have to distingish here isnt a dislike of Americans (the people)... more the media, Goverment and Corporations which are responcible for a great many injustices...
(Although, since it seems China will be 'relativly' soon become the worlds superpower, we'll have an interesting few years ahead)
Microsoft -
All corporations do play dirty tricks to get ahead... though few have managed to play as many as Microsoft...
Though this is fair enough.. business is business after all... And to be fair a lot of the stuff I see them accused I think people are going over the top... But if you wanted to make a catalogue of dirty business tricks... Microsoft and Sony are head to head as the worlds best.#
---
A problem I think is that most people that would be used as an example as people who are in the public eye... generally people who are in the public eye a lot...
Which means that although they will be enourmously popular with many... theres going to be just as many who dislike them just as intensly...
Ive noticed, that the people on TV who claim that people hate success are generally celebs that had one thing that made them popular, one sporting success, popular ctachphrase, hit single... and although, Im happy to contrgratulate them at the time... they cant ride on that one success forever (as prooven by Homer Simpson in the episode where he bowled a perfect 180 :) )
Theres always the comparison to America.. where, there are enough people to allow the Osmans to still perform to sell out... Where as in the much smaller (less insular?) Britain, they would be lucky to fill a pub?
Apart from that theres always the Newspapers, telling everyone who they like and hate today.
(I remeber in the eary ninties, the Sun had a front page spread about how computer games will cause kids to have epleptic fits, and that they should be banned... whilst, on the same page advertising the free computer games magazine inside)
However, tabloids themselves are something people take too seriously...
I was in a pub with a friend of a friend about a year or so back, he worked for one of the nationals (he also wrote the back of one of the Ice Beer Labels... I forget which?) ... Apparently it used to quite freak him out how seriously people took tabloid newspapers... You really wernt supposed to take thems seriously... Part of it being, apparently, that people took so little notice of what was written in the papers, that they blew everything out of proportion to get it into the readers head what they were saying...
Besides, why allow your morality to be defined by articles written by hacks and rushed to be completed before a deadline?
However...
I'm sure there are a lot of people who hate success... and, like I say, I can only comment from what Ive noticed from the people I know... but it seems that
they arnt hated because they are successful... Success has just allows them to be hated
---
The GingerLord wrote:
Manchester United -
Football Clubs? ... Thats a cheeky option! :)... you see how velhemontly people in here argue about why their SONY/Nintendo/SEGA console is better than the others...
Most people critise Man United light heartedly... they are the club you love to hate... theres no real hatred there...
Although, I understand they are seen as the major commercialising force behind Football, changing it from a sport to an 'overpaid celebrity linup'
(However, I know nothing of football, so how true this is I dont really know!) :)
America -
I suspect that many people would disagree with your opinion of Americas handling of its position of power...
What you have to distingish here isnt a dislike of Americans (the people)... more the media, Goverment and Corporations which are responcible for a great many injustices...
(Although, since it seems China will be 'relativly' soon become the worlds superpower, we'll have an interesting few years ahead)
Microsoft -
All corporations do play dirty tricks to get ahead... though few have managed to play as many as Microsoft...
Though this is fair enough.. business is business after all... And to be fair a lot of the stuff I see them accused I think people are going over the top... But if you wanted to make a catalogue of dirty business tricks... Microsoft and Sony are head to head as the worlds best.#
---
A problem I think is that most people that would be used as an example as people who are in the public eye... generally people who are in the public eye a lot...
Which means that although they will be enourmously popular with many... theres going to be just as many who dislike them just as intensly...
Ive noticed, that the people on TV who claim that people hate success are generally celebs that had one thing that made them popular, one sporting success, popular ctachphrase, hit single... and although, Im happy to contrgratulate them at the time... they cant ride on that one success forever (as prooven by Homer Simpson in the episode where he bowled a perfect 180 :) )
Theres always the comparison to America.. where, there are enough people to allow the Osmans to still perform to sell out... Where as in the much smaller (less insular?) Britain, they would be lucky to fill a pub?
Apart from that theres always the Newspapers, telling everyone who they like and hate today.
(I remeber in the eary ninties, the Sun had a front page spread about how computer games will cause kids to have epleptic fits, and that they should be banned... whilst, on the same page advertising the free computer games magazine inside)
However, tabloids themselves are something people take too seriously...
I was in a pub with a friend of a friend about a year or so back, he worked for one of the nationals (he also wrote the back of one of the Ice Beer Labels... I forget which?) ... Apparently it used to quite freak him out how seriously people took tabloid newspapers... You really wernt supposed to take thems seriously... Part of it being, apparently, that people took so little notice of what was written in the papers, that they blew everything out of proportion to get it into the readers head what they were saying...
Besides, why allow your morality to be defined by articles written by hacks and rushed to be completed before a deadline?
However...
I'm sure there are a lot of people who hate success... and, like I say, I can only comment from what Ive noticed from the people I know... but it seems that
they arnt hated because they are successful... Success has just allows them to be hated
Interesting points Armitage, and I know that the examples aren't that good. Certainly people will have other reasons for not liking them, but they were just ones that sprung to my mind as I was writing.
I also realise that the majority of people don't hate any of these three "institutions", I guess is the best way to put it, but that some people do. I also realise that where they do hate them, that may have nothing to do with their success. However, I don't believe that being good at something should automatically put you in the firing line.
I don't like using football, but again its the only example that springs easily to mind:
David Beckham is one of the best footballers in the world. He has a God-given gift, whatever you think of him personally, few would argue about that. Beckham would not be able to make a good career in many other ways, so it is his right to play football to provide himself with a good means of living.
After the Argentina match in 1998, Beckham WAS HATED, by an astonishing number of people. Did he deserve this - no. Did being successful mean that he should be villified - no. He made a mistake, a big one granted, but then people turned on him, his family, and everyone associated with him. Now I cannot say this for sure, but had that been Michael Owen, who does not have the popstar wife, the modelling contracts, etc etc. I do not think he would have got such treatment.
This is the ridiculous hatred of success that I am talking about.
I also realise that the majority of people don't hate any of these three "institutions", I guess is the best way to put it, but that some people do. I also realise that where they do hate them, that may have nothing to do with their success. However, I don't believe that being good at something should automatically put you in the firing line.
I don't like using football, but again its the only example that springs easily to mind:
David Beckham is one of the best footballers in the world. He has a God-given gift, whatever you think of him personally, few would argue about that. Beckham would not be able to make a good career in many other ways, so it is his right to play football to provide himself with a good means of living.
After the Argentina match in 1998, Beckham WAS HATED, by an astonishing number of people. Did he deserve this - no. Did being successful mean that he should be villified - no. He made a mistake, a big one granted, but then people turned on him, his family, and everyone associated with him. Now I cannot say this for sure, but had that been Michael Owen, who does not have the popstar wife, the modelling contracts, etc etc. I do not think he would have got such treatment.
This is the ridiculous hatred of success that I am talking about.
The GingerLord wrote:
After the Argentina match in 1998,
> Beckham WAS HATED, by an astonishing number of people. Did he deserve this - no.
> Did being successful mean that he should be villified - no. He made a mistake, a
> big one granted, but then people turned on him, his family, and everyone
> associated with him. Now I cannot say this for sure, but had that been Michael
> Owen, who does not have the popstar wife, the modelling contracts, etc etc. I do
> not think he would have got such treatment.
This is the ridiculous hatred of
> success that I am talking about.
Though... he wasnt hated for his success... it was just that people used aspects of his success against him as abuse when the tide of his popularity (momentarily as it was to be) turned against him...
After the Argentina match in 1998,
> Beckham WAS HATED, by an astonishing number of people. Did he deserve this - no.
> Did being successful mean that he should be villified - no. He made a mistake, a
> big one granted, but then people turned on him, his family, and everyone
> associated with him. Now I cannot say this for sure, but had that been Michael
> Owen, who does not have the popstar wife, the modelling contracts, etc etc. I do
> not think he would have got such treatment.
This is the ridiculous hatred of
> success that I am talking about.
Though... he wasnt hated for his success... it was just that people used aspects of his success against him as abuse when the tide of his popularity (momentarily as it was to be) turned against him...
The GingerLord wrote:
After the Argentina match in 1998,
> Beckham WAS
> HATED, by an astonishing number of people. Did he deserve this - no.
> Did
> being successful mean that he should be villified - no. He made a mistake,
> a
> big one granted, but then people turned on him, his family, and
> everyone
> associated with him. Now I cannot say this for sure, but had that
> been Michael
> Owen, who does not have the popstar wife, the modelling
> contracts, etc etc. I do
> not think he would have got such treatment.
>
This is the ridiculous hatred of
> success that I am talking
> about.
Also... its football... and supporters to tend to feel very strongly about such things...
I remeber in the FOG forums... when SEGA stated that they wernt going to manufacture any more Dreamcasts, people were writing discussions about how SEGA had let them down... how they had trusted them and that they had turned their backs on them...
Some took the whole thing very personally and were genuinly very upset...
Some were very angry at SEGA...Though not because they had been successful... but because they had expected them to be and they wernt...
After the Argentina match in 1998,
> Beckham WAS
> HATED, by an astonishing number of people. Did he deserve this - no.
> Did
> being successful mean that he should be villified - no. He made a mistake,
> a
> big one granted, but then people turned on him, his family, and
> everyone
> associated with him. Now I cannot say this for sure, but had that
> been Michael
> Owen, who does not have the popstar wife, the modelling
> contracts, etc etc. I do
> not think he would have got such treatment.
>
This is the ridiculous hatred of
> success that I am talking
> about.
Also... its football... and supporters to tend to feel very strongly about such things...
I remeber in the FOG forums... when SEGA stated that they wernt going to manufacture any more Dreamcasts, people were writing discussions about how SEGA had let them down... how they had trusted them and that they had turned their backs on them...
Some took the whole thing very personally and were genuinly very upset...
Some were very angry at SEGA...Though not because they had been successful... but because they had expected them to be and they wernt...
i never understood why beckham was so hated after france 98 i mean did england lose the match in normal time after his sending off? no they got to take it to penalties and it was david batty and was it paul ince (not sure) who missed the 2 penalties that dropped us out of the cup not beckham. beckham was nowhere near that penalty spot when batty missed his penalty. if anyone should have got the blame for us dropping out the cup in 98 it was the 2 that missed the penalties