Procrustes Syndrome: I Want You To Be Well, But Not Better Than Me

Procrustes syndrome refers to those people who neglect those who have more talent or ability than they are. What is more, they do not hesitate to discriminate against them, even to harass them. They are people who do not move forward, profiles frustrated or with a heightened self-esteem that we find in many environments in which we operate.

It is quite possible that at this same moment, after reading this portrait, many of you are thinking of more than one name, more than one person you know. It must be said, moreover, that this caricature inspired many literary and cinematographic works. It is, so to speak, the classic antagonist that one finds in any school scenario, professional, even family.

Thus, it is interesting to know that even if Procrustes syndrome is not present in any diagnostic manual and if it has no clinical entity, it nevertheless corresponds perfectly to what psychologists call “the technique of elbows ”. In other words, it is about getting rid of the brightest people in a hostile way and boycotting the most prepared out of sheer intolerance and sheer selfishness. Because for these people, the worst thing that can happen to them is to be overtaken by others in some aspect, however small the advance may be.

Even if the myth of Procrustes is not very well known, it must be said that it is undoubtedly one of the darkest, one of the most terrible of Greek mythology, which tells that this character was an innkeeper who ran a tavern in the high hills of Attica. There, he also offered accommodation to travelers. However, under these amiable roofs which invited rest and comfort hid a macabre secret.

Procrustes had a bed where he invited travelers to sleep. At night, when all were asleep, he took the opportunity to gag and tie them up. If the victim was too tall and their feet, hands, or head were sticking out of the bed, he would cut them off. If the person, on the contrary, was too small, he would break his bones to adjust the measurements.

This obscure character carried out his macabre deeds for years, until a very special man arrived in his inn: Theseus. As we all know, this hero is famous for having faced the Minotaur of the Island of Crete and later becoming the King of Athens. It is said that when Theseus discovered what this sadist of Procrustes was doing at night, he decided to reserve the same fate for him.

It remains clear, undoubtedly, that in our daily life, no one exhibits such violence as that of the Procrustes of the Greek myth, but on the other hand, many people present this hidden aggressiveness that we so often see in the fields of sport, politics or business. In fact, something we all know is that those who hold the most important positions in an organization are not always the most qualified or the best prepared.

Therefore, as soon as a brilliant person appears, a person who is proactive, creative and capable of surpassing them in many aspects, they do not hesitate to apply a thousand and one ploys and other tricks to undo, humiliate and destroy them. ‘to remove in the corner of indifference where it does not represent any “risk”. A threat capable of destroying their little world of incompetence and vulgarity.

• These are profiles who live in perpetual frustration, and who rely on a rare feeling of control.
• These people can have a very low self-esteem or, on the contrary, exacerbated and disproportionate.
• They are emotionally sensitive: they see it as a terrible affront to every situation they find themselves in when faced with the abilities or good ideas of others.
• So, generally, they “sell” us the idea that they are very empathetic, that they value teamwork… However, what is behind these words is genuine egocentricity and rigid and extremely hostile thinking. .
• They monopolize all the tasks: their level of competitiveness has only one objective, that of standing out from the crowd against others.
• They fear change, something arguably very common in businesses governed by traditional and not at all proactive leaders who see every small change as a big threat.

• They also carry out irrational attributions: if, for example, we carry out an action which may imply a benefit for the company, they will see this as an error, as a proof of our naivety and as an idea having no value.

Finally, last point, and not the least, it must also be said that these people do not hesitate to manipulate others or to use their complicity to “finish” with the one who stands out the most.

When we have complicated people around us, people characterized by certain disorders, certain behaviors or certain behaviors that we consider harmful, we suggest, in most cases, “to learn first to understand them. and then manage them ”.

In this case, and when it comes to profiles that perform the most toxic and threatening level of Procrustes syndrome, the best judgment is to distance yourself. We cannot forget that talent does not harmonize with threat or with the most rigid and hurtful power.

The “elbow technique” goes much further than just competition. When it turns into an attack, when we have a director or even a member of our family who constantly boycots us in order to humiliate us and cancel us out, it is necessary to take the necessary initiatives and close this door. It is better to look for scenarios where you can expand as much as possible, in accordance with our talents.

We must not forget either that, even if the Procusts of our daily life are not lacking, we must never submit to them. We are all born to stand out in one area or another, strengthen this ability and find the most ideal context to benefit from it freely.