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mentality

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crab mentality

A negative, selfish mentality characterized by a preference for others not to get ahead of or do better than oneself. It alludes to a phenomenon of a group of crabs in a pot, in which an escaping crab is pulled back down by the others so that none escape in the end. She dreamt of going to college and beginning a better life, but her parents' and friends' crab mentality constantly discouraged her from leaving the sordid life in which they were entrenched.

See also: crab, mentality

a siege mentality

the belief that you must protect yourself because other people are going to attack you Many designers develop a siege mentality because they're terrified someone will steal their ideas.

See also: mentality, siege