crab mentality
A phenomenon in which a person or a group of people attempt to hinder the progress or success of others, even if such success does not directly affect their own well-being.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't show crab mentality by trying to stop your friend from succeeding.”
“Crab mentality keeps the whole group from moving forward.”
“The team failed to reach their goal because of the crab mentality among members who sabotaged each other's work.”
“He decided to leave his hometown because the crab mentality of his neighbors made it impossible to start a new business without facing constant criticism.”
“When you try to improve your lifestyle, be careful of friends who show crab mentality by mocking your healthy choices just to make themselves feel better.”
“Instead of celebrating her promotion, her colleagues displayed a clear crab mentality, actively undermining her efforts to improve the department's performance.”
Derived from the metaphor of a pot of crabs, in which a single crab attempting to escape over the side is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot. The image serves as an illustration of a collective resistance to individual success.
Last updated August 10, 2026