Social Exploration
Crabs in the Barrel Syndrome
A Common Discussion in Certain Ethnic Groups
Have you ever wondered what the crabs in the barrel syndrome means? I never looked it up before because the meaning has always been implied. I didn’t know there were books and papers written on the syndrome.
Where I grew up, I always heard elderly people talking about crabs in the barrel. They would say, “That’s just like her. The old crabs in the barrel syndrome.” I always took it to mean that someone was trying to prevent someone else from accomplishing something in their life and another person expressed negative comments about that other person’s success.
Today, I think this takes on a more sinister meaning. Certain groups will express disdain about another group because they were able to achieve something the first group wasn’t.
Case in point. Have you ever gone to a Chinese restaurant to order a meal and notice a large number of people in the back having a family meal? Or have you ever noticed a large group of families…
