The metaphor is derived from a pattern of behaviour noted in crabs when they are trapped in a bucket. While any one crab could easily escape, its efforts would be undermined and sabotaged by others.
The analogy in human behaviour is claimed to be that members of a group would attempt to reduce the self-confidence of any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, resentment, spite, conspiracy or competitive feelings, to halt their progress.
Mediocre Minds
People in this category are content at being average. In his best-selling book, The Enemy Called Average, John Mason unveiled the greatest enemy to dreams, visions and personal development. He believed your greatest enemy is someone that helps you settle for less than what God designed you for.
You must grow your mind to a level where you are not comfortable with being surrounded by average-minded people. Maureen Dowd said: “The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.”
Insecure Minds
Small-minded people would become insecure with your big dreams. Insecure people would compete with you, instead of complementing you. Chronic insecure people are toxic to your dreams. An insecure person would always ruin other people’s happiness, just because he/her cannot find his/her own.
You need people with a healthy self-esteem to invest in your dreams. A healthy self-esteem is the greatest asset of any person. This ensures that we see everybody as a collaborator and not a competitor.
Low-Aim Minds
Michelangelo said: “The greatest tragedy of life is not that we set high aim and miss it, but that we set low aim and reach it.” Don’t allow small-minded people to pull your big dreams down to fit into their own realities.
Small-minded people would reduce you to their small thinking. Raise your aim high and the right people would come to you.
Envious Minds
Every time you succeed, there are some people that die a little. Envy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius. Aristotle said: “Envy is pain at the good fortune of others.” When men are full of envy, they disparage everything, whether it is good or bad.