--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: those at the very top of the class—are…" description: "\"“those at the very top of the class—are going to face a burden that they would not face in a less competitive atmosphere. Citizens of happy countries h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8c/malcolm-gladwell-348_big-fish_those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-g_1541567.png" --- # those at the very top of the class—are going to face a… ![“those at the very top of the class—are going to face a burden that they would not face in a less competitive atmosphere. Citizens of happy countries have higher suicide rates than citizens of unhappy countries, because they look at the smiling faces around them and the contrast is too great…” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8c/malcolm-gladwell-348_big-fish_those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-g_1541567.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8c/malcolm-gladwell-348_big-fish_those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-g_1541567.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8c/malcolm-gladwell-348_big-fish_those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-g_1541567.png) > ““those at the very top of the class—are going to face a burden that they would not face in a less competitive atmosphere. Citizens of happy countries have higher suicide rates than citizens of unhappy countries, because they look at the smiling faces around them and the contrast is too great. Students at “great” schools look at the brilliant students around them, and how do you think they feel? The phenomenon of relative deprivation applied to education is called—appropriately enough—the “Big Fish–Little Pond Effect.” The more elite an educational institution is, the worse students feel about their own academic abilities. Students who would be at the top of their class at a good school can easily fall to the bottom of a really good school. Students who would feel that they have mastered a subject at a good school can have the feeling that they are falling farther and farther behind in a really good school. And that feeling—as subjective and ridiculous and irrational”” [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being surrounded by higher‑achieving peers can lower self‑esteem and increase perceived failure, known as the Big Fish‑Little Pond Effect. **In simple terms:** High‑achieving environments can hurt confidence. Key Takeaway Seek personal benchmarks, not relative ones. Themes self‑esteem comparison education mental health achievement relative deprivation Mood anxious reflective motivated Type psychological educational When to use this quote - college admissions - workplace performance - team dynamics - social media - academic counseling Key Concepts social comparison self‑concept psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure success beyond grades? - What practices foster healthy comparison? A Different Perspective Not all competitive settings cause distress; supportive cultures can mitigate the effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-fish/) [Deprivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deprivation/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Smiling faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smiling-faces/) ## Related quotes > [“The phenomenon of relative deprivation applied to education is called—appropriately enough—the “Big Fish–Little Pond Effect.” The more elite an educational institution is, the worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-phenomenon-of-relative-deprivation-applied-to-education-is-called/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“though she isn’t stupid at all. “Wow, other people are mastering this, even people who were as clueless as I was in the beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/though-she-isn-t-stupid-at-all-wow-other-people-are-mastering-this/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“I have certainly known students who feel they got a great education in college. But they always say some version of “the opportunities are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-deresiewicz/i-have-certainly-known-students-who-feel-they-got-a-great-education/) [William Deresiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-deresiewicz/) > [The truth of the matter is that about 99 percent of teaching is making the students feel interestedin the material. Then the other 1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-about-99-percent-of-teaching-is/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Students should feel excited and prepared for the new school year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/students-should-feel-excited-and-prepared-for-the-new-school-year/) [London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/) > [All of our students should feel safe and supported when they go to school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/all-of-our-students-should-feel-safe-and-supported-when-they-go-to/) [London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/) > [“Well, it doesn’t work. Lowering standards just leads to poorly educated students who feel entitled to easy work and lavish praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-syed/well-it-doesn-t-work-lowering-standards-just-leads-to-poorly-educated/) [Matthew Syed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-syed/) > [Students should not feel as if they had missed the boat if they failed examinations and should be presented with more opportunities to further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-muscat/students-should-not-feel-as-if-they-had-missed-the-boat-if-they/) [Joseph Muscat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-muscat/) > [I have a principle I often invoke in class: comfortable people don't grow. Good teachers need to engage in the paradox of making students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-brown/i-have-a-principle-i-often-invoke-in-class-comfortable-people-don-t/) [Erica Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-brown/) > [In art school, it was about feeling. In architecture school, it was about ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-diller/in-art-school-it-was-about-feeling-in-architecture-school-it-was/) [Elizabeth Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-diller/) > [Boys do not have the language skills of little girls. Boys go to school feeling like idiots. We wonder why fifty-six percent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-orfalea/boys-do-not-have-the-language-skills-of-little-girls-boys-go-to/) [Paul Orfalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-orfalea/) > [I briefly flirted with the idea of more stable career choices but they never excited me. I know it's a bit of a cliche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-crome/i-briefly-flirted-with-the-idea-of-more-stable-career-choices-but/) [Karla Crome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-crome/) > [Every child should feel safe at school without feeling like a prisoner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-cupp/every-child-should-feel-safe-at-school-without-feeling-like-a-prisoner/) [S.E. Cupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-cupp/) > [I was always growing, so it made no sense for my mom and dad to load me up with a bunch of clothes. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iman-shumpert/i-was-always-growing-so-it-made-no-sense-for-my-mom-and-dad-to-load/) [Iman Shumpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iman-shumpert/) > [I was always the tallest girl in my class, and it made me have really bad posture because I wanted to seem shorter than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-webb/i-was-always-the-tallest-girl-in-my-class-and-it-made-me-have-really/) [Katherine Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-webb/) ## More by Malcolm Gladwell > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“The scholars who research happiness suggest that more money stops making people happier at a family income of around seventy-five thousand dollars a year.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-scholars-who-research-happiness-suggest-that-more-money-stops/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [We need to be clear when we venerate entrepreneurs what we are venerating.They are not moral leaders. If they were moral leaders, they wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/we-need-to-be-clear-when-we-venerate-entrepreneurs-what-we-are/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Some people look like they sound better than they actually sound, because they look confident and have good posture," once musician, a veteran of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/some-people-look-like-they-sound-better-than-they-actually-sound/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [A handicap is like trying to race and you have a ten pound weight stuck to your waist. That is a handicap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/a-handicap-is-like-trying-to-race-and-you-have-a-ten-pound-weight/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“neighborhood was filled with engineers from Hewlett-Packard, then as now one of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/neighborhood-was-filled-with-engineers-from-hewlett-packard-then-as/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“People are ruined by challenged economic lives. But they are ruined by wealth as well because they lose their ambition and they lose their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-ruined-by-challenged-economic-lives-but-they-are-ruined-by/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The single most important thing a city can do is provide a community where interesting, smart people want to live with their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-single-most-important-thing-a-city-can-do-is-provide-a-community/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The willingness to be self-critical in England is much greater than the willingness to be self-critical in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-willingness-to-be-self-critical-in-england-is-much-greater-than/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“An archway to one side leads to a church, the Madonna del Carmine—Our Lady of Mount Carmine. Narrow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/an-archway-to-one-side-leads-to-a-church-the-madonna-del-carmine-our/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [People are experience-rich and theory-poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/people-are-experience-rich-and-theory-poor/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. His point is simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/most-psychologists-believe-that-nature-genetics-accounts-for-about/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) [Explore all 647 Malcolm Gladwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More Big fish quotes > [I am a storyteller, and I grew up with a father who told big-fish stories, so storytelling is very much a part of me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stroman/i-am-a-storyteller-and-i-grew-up-with-a-father-who-told-big-fish/) [Susan Stroman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stroman/) > [They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wallace/they-say-when-you-meet-the-love-of-your-life-time-stops-and-that-s/) [Daniel Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wallace/) > [“Remember how we forgot? Once upon a time, we were young Our dreams hung like apples Waiting to be picked and peeled And hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-l-koyczan/remember-how-we-forgot-once-upon-a-time-we-were-young-our-dreams-hung/) Shane L. Koyczan > [I'm a big fish eater. Salmon - I love salmon. My sister loves Chinese food and sushi and all that. I'm not as big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-fanning/i-m-a-big-fish-eater-salmon-i-love-salmon-my-sister-loves-chinese/) [Elle Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-fanning/) > [Big fish eat small fish with as much right as they have power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/big-fish-eat-small-fish-with-as-much-right-as-they-have-power/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [I'm never sure one is exactly ready. You jump in, with both feet, into a very big fish pond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/i-m-never-sure-one-is-exactly-ready-you-jump-in-with-both-feet-into-a/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [Captains who fish for compliments are limited to shallow shores. You'll catch big fish in deep waters by opening more doors than you close!~](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-compton/captains-who-fish-for-compliments-are-limited-to-shallow-shores-you/) [Bobby Compton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-compton/) > [“At the Fishhouses Although it is a cold evening, down by one of the fishhouses an old man sits netting, his net, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bishop/at-the-fishhouses-although-it-is-a-cold-evening-down-by-one-of-the/) [Elizabeth Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bishop/) > [The storms come and go, the waves crash overhead, the big fish eat the little fish, and I keep on paddling. (Varys)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-storms-come-and-go-the-waves-crash-overhead-the-big-fish-eat-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Big fishes need big baits..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/big-fishes-need-big-baits/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“Lesson number one: “Not my problem” is not a philosophy. It’s a mental illness. Right up there with pessimism. Other people’s problems are our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/lesson-number-one-not-my-problem-is-not-a-philosophy-it-s-a-mental/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [I flung open the door. I got a momentary flash of about a hundred and fifteen cats of all sizes and colours scrapping in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-flung-open-the-door-i-got-a-momentary-flash-of-about-a-hundred-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a huge 'Nightmare before Christmas' fan, but that was also Henry Selick. I'm a really big fan of 'Sleepy Hollow.' I love 'Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-leth/i-m-a-huge-nightmare-before-christmas-fan-but-that-was-also-henry/) [Kate Leth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-leth/) > [Bragging is not an attractive trait, but let's be honest. A man who catches a big fish doesn't go home through an alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-landers/bragging-is-not-an-attractive-trait-but-let-s-be-honest-a-man-who/) [Ann Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-landers/) > [The finest gift you can give to any fisherman is to put a good fish back, and who knows if the fish that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-wulff/the-finest-gift-you-can-give-to-any-fisherman-is-to-put-a-good-fish/) [Lee Wulff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-wulff/) [Browse all 89 Big fish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-fish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“those at the very top of the class—are going to face a burden that they would not face in a less competitive atmosphere. Citizens of happy countries have higher suicide rates than citizens of unhappy countries, because they look at the smiling faces around them and the contrast is too great. Students at “great” schools look at the brilliant students around them, and how do you think they feel? The phenomenon of relative deprivation applied to education is called—appropriately enough—the “Big Fish–Little Pond Effect.” The more elite an educational institution is, the worse students feel about their own academic abilities. Students who would be at the top of their class at a good school can easily fall to the bottom of a really good school. Students who would feel that they have mastered a subject at a good school can have the feeling that they are falling farther and farther behind in a really good school. And that feeling—as subjective and ridiculous and irrational”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Malcolm Gladwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-going-to-face-a-burden-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big fish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-going-to-face-a-burden-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8c/malcolm-gladwell-348_big-fish_those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-g_1541567.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8c/malcolm-gladwell-348_big-fish_those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-g_1541567.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8c/malcolm-gladwell-348_big-fish_those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-g_1541567.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“those at the very top of the class—are going to face a burden that they would not face in a less competitive…” — Malcolm Gladwell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Malcolm Gladwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“those at the very top of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-going-to-face-a-burden-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/those-at-the-very-top-of-the-class-are-going-to-face-a-burden-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```