History Quotes / TallPoppySyndrome

->''"It is time for their 'secret identity' to become their ''only'' identity. Time for them to join us, or ''go away''."''

->''"The Franchise/MarvelUniverse has corrupted everything you stand for all in the name of high drama. Think about it, [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kal-El]]. Your job is to be an inspiration for people, someone they can look up to, someone they can aspire to be like; in steadfastness, in character, in ideals. And what did Marvel offer? They said, 'don't worry; you don't have to aspire to anyone in our books. You just have to relate to them.' And now we have an entire culture that thinks that [[BeYourself who they are is just fine]], and how dare anyone suggest they can improve themselves? Why aspire to be Superman when it's so much easier to relate to Franchise/SpiderMan? No one wants to look up to you anymore, Superman. They don't want to strain their necks. Instead they look straight ahead at the compromised heroes in front of them and say 'That'll do just fine'."''

-->-- '''Senator''', ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''

-->-- '''Kakashi''', ''Anime/{{Naruto}}''

-->-- '''Club of Heracles''', ''LightNovel/BenTo''

-->-- ''LightNovel/BenTo''

->''"But the one thing they love more than a hero is a hero fail. Fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you."''

->''"The rest of us learned to cope. The rest of us recognized the danger -- of the endless envy of those not blessed. [[ComicBook/WonderWoman Diana]] went back to her people. [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal]] went to the stars. And I have walked the razor's edge for so long... But you, [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Bruce]] -- you, with your wild obsession-- ''[...]'' They'll kill us if they can, Bruce, Every year they grow smaller. Every year they hate us more. We must not remind them that giants walk the Earth."''

-->-- '''Music/{{Rush}}''', "The Trees"

-->-- ''Comicbook/LockeAndKey''

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''

->''"It is time for their 'secret identity' to become their ''only'' identity. Time for them to join us, or ''go away''."''
-->-- '''Senator''', ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''

->'''Helen Parr:''' The world just wants us to fit in and to fit in, we just gotta be like everybody else.\\
'''Dash Parr:''' But Dad always said our powers were nothing to be ashamed of. Our powers made us special.\\
'''Helen:''' Everyone's special, Dash.\\
'''Dash:''' Which is another way of saying ''no one'' is.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''

-->-- '''Website/{{Cracked}}''', [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person_p2/ "Six Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person"]]

-->-- '''J. Jonah Jameson''', ''[[ComicBook/LeeDitkoSpiderMan The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #10

->''They, society, hate you because they don't want your help. You remind them of how weak-willed and sheep-like and unspecial they are. How gleeful they are, deep down, to be ordinary. They don't want heroes. They don't want special people around them. Because if there are special people and they aren't one of them -- well, who wants that? Who wants a constant reminder that they aren't even trying to be special? ''[...]'' See, the difference between you and I is that you really are just a child. You benefit from the wide-eyed optimism of youth. I do envy that, somewhat. But... like many of your decisions in life... it's just naïve. And I don't envy that harsh cold slap of reality that will come your way soon enough. But I guess it's inevitable. ''[...]'' People don't want to be special. I do think that. It is my philosophy. They -- people want to be told what to do and how to live and they want men like me to tell them. They want to go to work and do as little as they can possibly get away with, and they want a big cookie at the end of the day for doing it. And they want men like me to give it to them. And if it wasn't me it would be someone else."''

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

->Listen up! If you want to rid yourselves of Orthros once and for all, you're gonna have to cooperate! What do you do with a nail that sticks out too far to be pounded down? Any guesses? I'll tell you; you ''yank it out!''

->'''Club of Heracles:''' You've gotta yank the nail that sticks out too far, ''[[VillainousBreakdown OR THEY'RE NEVER GONNA LEARN THEIR LESSON!]]''\\
'''Yo Sato:''' [[ShutUpHannibal I don't think so, pal!]] There's another way to fix that nail; you get ''a bigger hammer!''\\

->...most students don't want to give Soma his due. Why is that, I wonder? Soma's culinary inspirations... those don't come to him because he has some kind of natural talent for it. He just thinks everything through and keeps plugging away through trial and error. Anyone can do that, though it's harder than it sounds. ''There's no way, it's impossible. No one can stand up to Ryo Kurokiba, he practices against Alice Nakiri everyday! Akira Hayama has an inhumanly sharp sense of smell! How are you supposed to beat that? Why even bother, no matter how hard I try, I could never do it. The most talented guy always wins. That's just the way it works.'' That's why everyone looks down on Soma. Because accepting his skills and accomplishments means they also have to accept that they themselves haven't even bothered to try.

->The nail that sticks out the most is the first one hit by the hammer.

->My people? Do you know what they're like, Rocket? My people? Those good, simple folk? Those river-dwelling fish farmers you think are so unspoiled? I was smart. Smart enough to make something of myself, even then. But you know what they think of smart people? 'Putting on airs.' 'Too big for her whiskers.' My own parents said that. They couldn't imagine a better life than gutting fish. For them, or for me. I used to look at that river - that beautiful blue river - and wish it were poison. It was all they deserved. So... answer's no, Rocket. They're getting what's coming to them. I will have the life I deserve. And so will they. And I'll do whatever I have to.
-->--'''Otta Spice''', ''ComicBook/Rocket2017''

->''"It is time for their "secret identity" to become their'' only ''identity. Time for them to join us, or'' go away".

-->-- '''[[Creator/BillNighy Chief Inspector]]''', ''Film/HotFuzz''

->''Some people insist that 'mediocre' is better than 'best.' They delight in clipping wings because they themselves can't fly. They despise brains because they have none.''
-->--''Literature/HaveSpaceSuitWillTravel''

[[folder:Live-action TV]]

-->-- '''Lady Morella''', ''Series/BabylonFive'', "Point of No Return"

– And they're quite convinced they're right –\\

[...]\\

->''See when you're shinin', some chumps'll wanna dull ya''
->''Always selfish jealous punks will wanna pull ya''
->''Down, just like some shellfish in a bucket''
->'''Cause they love it to see your ass squirm like a worm''

'''Sweet:''' [[ShutUpKirk Man, you sound just like Smoke now!]]

-->-- '''Drew Magary''' on Tom Brady, [[http://deadspin.com/why-your-team-sucks-2014-new-england-patriots-1629216508 Why Your Team Sucks 2014: New England Patriots"]]

->''"I'm glad ''Twin Peaks'' is being revived and I'm glad Creator/DavidLynch is involved. But the last we heard from him he was out of the picture business. In a better world, making ''The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Dr'' would earn him some kind of ''emeritus'' status... A civilized society would recognize its gifts--in this case, its geniuses--and nurture them, not send them off begging for donations (for a crummy [[NoBudget half million dollars]], no less)."''

-->-- '''[[http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person_p2/ Cracked]]''',"Six harsh truths that will make you a better person".

-> ''The [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel]] Universe has corrupted everything you stand for all in the name of high drama. Think about it [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kal-El.]] Your job is to be an inspiration for people, someone they can look up to, someone they can aspire to be like; in steadfastness, in character, in ideals. And what did Marvel offer? They said don’t worry; you don’t have to aspire to anyone in our books. You just have to relate to them. And now we have an entire culture that thinks that who they are is just fine and how dare anyone suggest they can improve themselves? Why aspire to be Superman when it’s so much easier to relate to [[Franchise/SpiderMan Spider-Man]]? No one wants to look up to you anymore, Superman. They don’t want to strain their necks. Instead they look straight ahead at the compromised heroes in front of them and say "That’ll do just fine".''

->'''Darwin:''' Anyways, [Carmen's] just trying to help you be a better person.
->'''Gumball:''' Exactly! She's raising the bar! Which is totally unfair for someone like me, who liked the bar exactly where it was.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', "The Best"

-> ''Fascinating creature the crab, got that hard exterior; but he ain't really dangerous, 'cept to another crab. Dumb as all hell; can't even walk straight. Matter of fact the only thing a crab is good for is holding back other crabs. A crab don’t wanna see another crab make it. […] Crab is like: "If I'm gonna die, we all gonna die." I admire that; we all gotta die sometimes, might as well help each other get there. After all, that's what you did to Stinkmeaner… Id'nt that right, Robert FREEMAN!?''
-->--'''Lord Rufus Crabmiser''' ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', "Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy"

->'''Uncle Ruckus:''' Mister, I wanna be a doctor when I grow up!
->'''[[AbusiveParents Mister Ruckus]]:''' Nigga, did I just catch you wantin' to be shit?
-> (SLAP)
-->--''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', "The Color Ruckus"

->All serious innovation is only rendered possible by some accident enabling unpopular persons to survive.

->I’ve never been certain whether the moral of the Icarus story should only be, as is generally accepted, 'Don’t try to fly too high,' or whether it might also be thought of as, 'Forget the wax and feathers and do a better job on the wings.'

->The theory seems to be that so long as a man is a failure he is one of God's chillun, but that as soon as he has any luck he owes it to the Devil.

->Only in Britain could it be thought a defect to be 'too clever by half.' The probability is that too many people are too stupid by three-quarters.

->America is proud of what it does to its writers, the way it breaks and bedevils them, rendering them deluded or drunken or dead by their own hands. To overpower its tender spirits makes America feel tough. Careers are generally short.

->It made me sad when she passed, and it made me mad at the time how available she was. Jan should have had a bigger career. Jan deserved a big movie career. Certainly as big as Rob Schneider’s fucking career. She was a bigger star on ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]''.

->You know who’s not laughing at that quick burn to Rob Schneider’s asshole? Tina’s accountant and manager. Tina really stepped it in barefoot this time, because now she’ll never get a call for the lady lead in ''Film/TheAnimal 2''.

->‘Competition’ is probably a misleading term. The politics of the show were such that the egos of the people in charge of the series were [[PointyHairedBoss threatened by the people who worked for them]].
-->-- '''Ronald D. Moore''' [[http://www.lcarscom.net/rdm1000118.htm on]] ''Star Trek: Voyager''

->In Britain, any degree of success is met with envy and resentment.

->Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish for its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking itself stupid.
-->-- [[http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/04/06/fish-climb/ Falsely]] [[BeamMeUpScotty Attributed to]] '''UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein'''

-> ''The [[Creator/MarvelComics Marvel]] Universe has corrupted everything you stand for all in the name of high drama. Think about it [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kal-El.]] Your job is to be an inspiration for people, someone they can look up to, someone they can aspire to be like; in steadfastness, in character, in ideals. And what did Marvel offer? They said don’t worry; you don’t have to aspire to anyone in our books. You just have to relate to them. And now we have an entire culture that thinks that who they are is just fine and how dare anyone suggest they can improve themselves? Why aspire to be Superman when it’s so much easier to relate to [[Franchise/SpiderMan Spider-Man]]? No one wants to look up to you anymore, Superman. They don’t want to strain their necks. Instead they look straight ahead at the compromised heroes in front of them and say "That’ll do just fine".

->'''Lord Rufus Crabmiser:''' Fascinating creature the crab, got that hard exterior; but he ain't really dangerous, 'cept to another crab. Dumb as all hell; can't even walk straight. Matter of fact the only thing a crab is good for is holding back other crabs. A crab don’t wanna see another crab make it. […] Crab is like: "If I'm gonna die, we all gonna die." I admire that; we all gotta die sometimes, might as well help each other get there. After all, that's what you did to Stinkmeaner… Id'nt that right, Robert FREEMAN!?
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'', "Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy"

->'''Lord Rufus Crabmiser:''' Fascinating creature the crab, got that hard exterior; but he ain't really dangerous, 'cept to another crab. Dumb as all hell; can't even walk straight. Matter of fact the only thing a crab is good for is holding back other crabs. A crab don’t wanna see another crab make it. […] Crab is like: "If I'm gonna die, we all gonna die." I admire that; we all gotta die sometimes, might as well help each other get there. After all, that's what you did to Stinkmeaner… Id'nt that Right, Robert FREEMAN!?

'''Bob:''' ''Because he'd be great!''\\

->I am so old that I can remember when other people's achievements were considered to be an inspiration, rather than a grievance.
-->--'''Thomas Sowell'''