Procrustean Syndrome: I Want You To Do Well But Not Better Than Me

Procrustean syndrome refers to those people who look down on those who surpass them in talent and skills. Furthermore, they do not hesitate to discriminate and even harass them. They are people who neither advance nor let advance, frustrated profiles or with highly exaggerated self-esteem that inhabit many of the environments in which we move.

It is very possible that at this very moment many of us come to mind more than one name, more than one person. It should also be said that this cartoon -with too many shades of reality, unfortunately- has inspired, as is to be expected, multiple literary and cinematographic plots. It is, so to speak, the classic antagonist that we find in every academic, work and even family setting  and that goes far beyond what we usually know as “climb”.

Likewise, it is interesting to know that although Procrustean syndrome is not present in any diagnostic manual or has any clinical entity, it perfectly captures what psychologists know as “elbow behavior”. That is, getting rid of the brightest in a hostile way and boycotting the most prepared out of simple intolerance and pure selfishness. Because for them, there can be nothing worse than being outmatched by others in some way, no matter how small.

The myth of Procrustean

Although the Procrustean myth is not well known, it can be said that it is undoubtedly one of the darkest and most terrible. Greek mythology tells that this character was an innkeeper who ran a tavern in the high hills of Attica. There, it also offered accommodation to travelers. However, under those beards and under those friendly ceilings that invited rest and comfort, a macabre secret was hidden.

Procrustean had a bed where he invited travelers to lie down. At night, when they slept, he took the opportunity to gag and tie them. If the victim was taller and his feet, hands or head came out of the bed, he proceeded to cut them. If the person was shorter, he would break their bones to adjust the measurements.

This dark character carried out his macabre actions for years until a very special man arrived at his inn: Theseus. As we already know, this hero acquired fame for having faced the Minotaur of the Island of Crete and for later becoming the king of Athens. It is said that when Theseus discovered what that sadistic being was doing at night, he decided to apply the same punishment to Procrustean that he applied to all his victims.

How do people with Procrustean syndrome act?

It is clear without a doubt that in our daily lives no one applies the violence of the Greek myth Procrustean, but that covert aggressiveness that we so often see in the sphere of sports, politics or the business world does. In fact, something we all know is that those who occupy the most relevant positions in an organization are not always the most qualified or the best prepared.

This means that as soon as someone brilliant appears, someone proactive, creative and capable of surpassing them in more than one aspect, they do not hesitate to apply a thousand stratagems and vile tricks to annul them, humiliate them and corner them in the corner of indifference where they stop being “a risk”. A threat capable of collapsing his little world of incompetence and vulgarity.

Characteristics of people with Procrustean syndrome

• They are profiles that live in the midst of continuous frustration and have little sense of control.
• They may have very low self-esteem or, on the contrary, exaggerated or excessive.
• They are very emotionally sensitive: any situation where they are in evidence against the abilities or successes of others, they will assume it as a serious affront.
• Likewise, they tend to “sell” us the idea that they are very empathetic, that they value teamwork … However, what is behind their words is a true self-centeredness and rigid and tremendously hostile thinking.
• They hog all the chores. Your level of competitiveness has only one goal: to stand out from others.
• They fear change, something undoubtedly very common in companies governed by traditional and unproactive leaders who see any small change as a great threat.

• They also carry out irrational attributions. If, for example, we carry out an action that can be a benefit for the company, they will see it as a mistake, as naivety and an idea of ​​zero value.

Last but not least, it should also be said that they do not hesitate to manipulate others or use their complicity to “kill” the one who stands out the most.

We must get out of the cages built by people with Procrustean Syndrome

When we have complicated people around us, people characterized by certain disorders, behaviors or behaviors that we consider harmful, we almost always suggest that you “first learn to understand them and later to handle them.”

In this case, and when we talk about profiles that run the most toxic and threatening level of Procrustean Syndrome, it is best to put distance. We cannot forget that talent does not harmonize with the threat or with the most rigid and harmful power.

The “elbow behavior” goes far beyond simple competition. When it turns into an attack, when we have a manager or even a family member who boycotts us constantly to humiliate us and annul us, it is necessary to take the initiative and close that door. At the same time, it is then when it is advisable to take a step to look for scenarios where we can expand to the maximum, according to our talents.

It should also be remembered that, despite the fact that the Procustos are not lacking in our daily lives, we must never bow down to them. We were all born to stand out in some aspect, let us enhance that ability and find the most suitable context to take advantage of it in freedom.