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Overdog (EP.70)
Summary
Once upon a time, most of us rooted for the loveable underdog. You know, the Little League baseball team from Nowhere, USA that was up against the team from a big city; the team that had won the championship two of the last three years. These kids and their parents had been selling candy door-to-door for almost a year to fund the trip to the big game. Or the personable but nondescript singer on a major TV talent show who was competing against well-trained and attractive contestants. The scrappy, work hard, never-give-up, refuse to accept failure, person or team or country caught our imaginations.
Today, the trend has nothing to do with underdogs; the clear push is to be against the successful, characterized as the overdog. Not because this person or group was mean or arrogant in their success. Not because they cheated. Not because they took themselves way too seriously. But simply because they succeeded, and succeeded big time. That is enough to make them not only disliked, but it makes them the enemy. Yes, succeed and you become the enemy.
Links and References
Resenting Success
Columbus Day
Contact
Please do reach out with comments or questions. You can email me at [email protected], or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
And you can subscribe to the podcast on your favorite device through Apple Podcasts, Google, or Stitcher.
Transcript
Once upon a time, most of us rooted for the loveable underdog. You know, the Little League baseball team from Nowhere USA that was up against the team from a big city; the team that had won the championship two of the last three years. These kids and their parents had been selling candy door-to-door for almost a year to fund the trip to the big game. Or the personable but nondescript singer on a major TV talent show who was competing against well-trained and attractive contestants. The scrappy, work hard, never-give-up, refuse to accept failure, person or team or country caught our imaginations.
Today, the trend has nothing to do with underdogs; the clear push is to be against the successful, characterized as the overdog. Not because this person or group was mean or arrogant in their success. Not because they cheated. Not because they took themselves way too seriously. But simply because they succeeded, and succeeded big time. That is enough to make them not only disliked, but it makes them the enemy. Yes, succeed and you become the enemy.
Let’s go back to the 1776 Revolution, Revolution 1.0 (the first revolution) in the US. Who doesn’t look back with fondness and pride at the ragtag Continental Army that wintered in Valley Forge in ‘77-’78? "Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery." General George Washington, February 16, 1778. This soldiery came back and defeated the strongest military the world had ever seen.
Now let’s go part way around the world and forward in time to the newly-birthed nation of Israel. Who didn’t root for that scrappy band of refugees, homesteaders and holocaust survivors to defeat the combined might of its neighbors and other nearby enemies who were dedicated to its eradication? Their enemies refused to accept the UN partition and fought to eliminate Israel in ‘48. And again in ‘67 and ‘73 when Israel once again had to fight for its survival?
Today, the anti-big, anti-successful crowd sees these two nations, the US and Israel, as linked together as examples of international evil. Yes, both countries got bigger and stronger after their shaky starts. Israel out of a desire to exist. The US, initially, as part of a drive to expand its territory and economy to support a growing population--population growth stemming from children born here along with massive immigration.
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By Will LudenSummary
Once upon a time, most of us rooted for the loveable underdog. You know, the Little League baseball team from Nowhere, USA that was up against the team from a big city; the team that had won the championship two of the last three years. These kids and their parents had been selling candy door-to-door for almost a year to fund the trip to the big game. Or the personable but nondescript singer on a major TV talent show who was competing against well-trained and attractive contestants. The scrappy, work hard, never-give-up, refuse to accept failure, person or team or country caught our imaginations.
Today, the trend has nothing to do with underdogs; the clear push is to be against the successful, characterized as the overdog. Not because this person or group was mean or arrogant in their success. Not because they cheated. Not because they took themselves way too seriously. But simply because they succeeded, and succeeded big time. That is enough to make them not only disliked, but it makes them the enemy. Yes, succeed and you become the enemy.
Links and References
Resenting Success
Columbus Day
Contact
Please do reach out with comments or questions. You can email me at [email protected], or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
And you can subscribe to the podcast on your favorite device through Apple Podcasts, Google, or Stitcher.
Transcript
Once upon a time, most of us rooted for the loveable underdog. You know, the Little League baseball team from Nowhere USA that was up against the team from a big city; the team that had won the championship two of the last three years. These kids and their parents had been selling candy door-to-door for almost a year to fund the trip to the big game. Or the personable but nondescript singer on a major TV talent show who was competing against well-trained and attractive contestants. The scrappy, work hard, never-give-up, refuse to accept failure, person or team or country caught our imaginations.
Today, the trend has nothing to do with underdogs; the clear push is to be against the successful, characterized as the overdog. Not because this person or group was mean or arrogant in their success. Not because they cheated. Not because they took themselves way too seriously. But simply because they succeeded, and succeeded big time. That is enough to make them not only disliked, but it makes them the enemy. Yes, succeed and you become the enemy.
Let’s go back to the 1776 Revolution, Revolution 1.0 (the first revolution) in the US. Who doesn’t look back with fondness and pride at the ragtag Continental Army that wintered in Valley Forge in ‘77-’78? "Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery." General George Washington, February 16, 1778. This soldiery came back and defeated the strongest military the world had ever seen.
Now let’s go part way around the world and forward in time to the newly-birthed nation of Israel. Who didn’t root for that scrappy band of refugees, homesteaders and holocaust survivors to defeat the combined might of its neighbors and other nearby enemies who were dedicated to its eradication? Their enemies refused to accept the UN partition and fought to eliminate Israel in ‘48. And again in ‘67 and ‘73 when Israel once again had to fight for its survival?
Today, the anti-big, anti-successful crowd sees these two nations, the US and Israel, as linked together as examples of international evil. Yes, both countries got bigger and stronger after their shaky starts. Israel out of a desire to exist. The US, initially, as part of a drive to expand its territory and economy to support a growing population--population growth stemming from children born here along with massive immigration.