Crab Mentality

Yesterday I spent all day in bed. There was no reason other than I could. I'm currently reading Terry Pratchett's  Unseen Academicals and came across a term which I have heard my entire life so was pleasantly surprise to see Terry writing about this term. It's called crab mentality, or as we say at home crabs in the bucket syndrome. In all my conversations, the use of this term is never a good. It is usually used to refer to a group of people who are in an impoverished circumstance and will do what they can out of spite, fear, or ignorance to prevent a member of their own community from advancing and get out of the bucket. Basically "If I cant have it, why should you."

What i found very interesting with his book is the concept that the crabs could be in your own mind. I've always looked at it as an external conflict and never saw the crabs in my own mind that were keeping me from achieving things in my life. The very act of laying in bed all day was a crab. I told myself i had the right to despite knowing there were things to be done houshold chores and otherwise. The belief that I will be foolish to apply for one of those "high flying jobs" because I "dont fit the look"  or "be happy where you are, you might not get something as good" is itself another crab.

So I've decided to become a crab catcher and guard my mind against the invasion of the crabs both external and internal least I give up on my hopes, dreams and goals to make it out of the bucket and end up pulled to the bottom.