Dear Michael,

“Back-holders” cannot be convinced. Jealousy and unethical behaviour occur often. Unfortunately, these people – who try also other tricks to hamper the performance of the others – either do not admit even themselves they commit evil or think hampering others is the simplest and most logical step against their peers.

Enviousness is such a common thing that some are entirely green because of it.

Dear Michel, Bassam is right and I agree with him. Do your best, be brave and persistent. Biting comments by colleagues should be ignored, but do not let them eat you anyway.

Thank you Dr. Hamdar.

Although this is saddening, I always like to use the slogan "Keep Walking". In Arabic there is a proverb that translates to "The dogs bark as the caravan walks away". (I do not mean any offense!).

Dear Michel, btw. that's my former wise Polish boss Professor always said about me, as of such caravan. He was right, that's my feature.

Dear Ahed, nicely said - personal barriers.

Dear Beata,

I am talking about more than biting comments, it's like back-stabbing knives!

They will surely not stop me doing what I want to do. And no matter how fierce they oppose me, I will still do good, good to them and to the institution I am working with.

Dear Michel, Your way is good, but maybe you should start think of it as of mobbing ? Maybe going own good way, will be not enough to survive for a long time in the social context of "back -stabbing knives"?

Dear Beata, I am not alone facing this culture. Besides, if I were alone, I have my faith in God and the greater good. What I am doing is a noble message: educating young people and building them into free, self-thinking individuals capable of serving their society is one fold, and adding to the body of knowledge through research, no matter how small or insignificant it is, is the other fold.

Very interesting discussion... This is a common scenery in academic world, unfortunately...

But, I believe that the alternative are a creation of a network with others that like "go the extra mile", even if other institutions ... so transcend the commonplace ..

Thank you Carlos, what you say is very true. The administration is often more receptive to feedback from outside of the institution.

Dear Bassam and Michel,

Story of many, as well. Yes, do our best and be ourselves.

Cheers

Lijo

Dear Michael,

“Back-holders” cannot be convinced. Jealousy and unethical behaviour occur often. Unfortunately, these people – who try also other tricks to hamper the performance of the others – either do not admit even themselves they commit evil or think hampering others is the simplest and most logical step against their peers.

Enviousness is such a common thing that some are entirely green because of it.

Derr Michael,

Dear All,

The recipe is to step over evil intentions and to do our task normally.

Dear Colleagues, I agree with Andras Bozsik but must tell you that to find the best way depends on our personality. Some people they can stand similor situation easily but the others feel frustration.

Dear Michael, in my opinion, solution should be created by our own because we are not the same to handle our things. My strategy is to not deal with others just to do my doing by my way and sollaborate only with people who do not let me down. If it is necessary to work in teams lets shoose your mates by your values.

Ágnes

Dear Michel

Negative people, at times, are very necessary in our lives because they make us have the courage to fight and show that they are wrong, and there is always some hope for their dreams come true after all. They help us in the process of persuasion, to show them that life and the things that surround us, are not so bad. Negative people help in our self-development.

I believe, as they serve us no incentive to not be as negative as they, negative people need much that help them to think differently, to think better.

Negative people is a necessary evil !

Thank you Lijo for your answer.

My pleasure, Michel!

Cheers!

Dear Andras,

Such people think if others succeed, they fail. And sometimes, KPIs in some companies are set to measure only parts of the work being done while ignoring other parts. My frustration comes from the ignorance of these "back-holders" about inter-dependence that is needed to "synergize" the work and advance the institution. I wish some people are environmentally greener and not from jealousy :)

Dear Agnes,

Thank you for your answer. I will sure deal with it "my way"

Dear Nelson,

Thank you for your feedback. I do teach control engineering and negative feedback is one of the most important concepts I teach. However, negative feedback can be constructive or destructive. Constructive negative feedback is always welcome to improve and compensate for the errors, but destructive is very dangerous and reflects negatively on the whole institution.

You cannot be a "super star" one day, and the other day you are "not doing your job" because you did something that was very successful and "they" have nothing to do with it.

I prefer to work hard in academics and research areas. If someone tries to hold me back or put me down I simply ignore and enjoys that they are jealous of me. You cannot teach someone to behave properly if someone has a wrong mindset. I strongly believe that if someone works hard in his or her area then the performance will keep their mouth shut. If I found that I am wrong somewhere then I try to improve it.

Well said Vinay

No method at all to change such a mobbing behaviour. The only response is no response. Stay self-confident!

Well, it depends on the physical and psychical condition of a person in his evolution. When you are young, you have great expectations and you feel that you can fight with anyone that challenges you. When you are older, it is possible to be a little bit smarter and concentrate on your tasks while neglecting the other people actions to make you feel bad.

@Gabriel, thats the reason for my proposal. But that means, that young people suffer more than the older ones.

Dear Michel:

This is human nature!

The remedy to this infliction is to stay ahead of the game!

Kind regards.

Dear Mike

Interesting Question, would be in the minds of many of us.

As they try to hold / supress some one, the energy within the uppressed / suppressed person pushes him out multiple fold... No extra effort needed, my humble opinion...

Cheers

LR

Dear Hanno, thank you for your answer. I do think that experience in dealing with such people comes with age and maturity.

Dear Gabriel, thank you for your answer.

Dear Dr. Abu-Faraj,

Thank you for the tip, I will surely work by it in the future ;)

Thank you Ramanan, although this can give you extra energy, but it can make you feel disgusted and tired. The energy you were spending doing something good is ignored or the work you have been doing is distorted by these noises.

Great questions, Michel.I have been in this situation. I took it personally when I was younger and did not have good tools. I still don't have an answer except that I've learned to stay on my path and try to conjure up some compassion for those unfortunates (who I now call 'teachers'). While I've done well at this, I have chosen to move on in search of a more collaborative and growth-oriented environment.

Dear Karen, thank you for sharing your experience. I think your move was a good one, and I hope things work out for me in a similar way.

Keep Walking

Go on!

A practical way is just to ignore and pursue your own path and trajectory. It is better to be self-driven rather than get disturbed by someone else's agenda !

There will always be persons who will try to hold you back. Just ignore !!

Thanks for this question and many encouraging answers that I read on this thread.

I was in such a situation & I overcame it by going the double extra mile.I changed my work timings - rather lengthened it from 6 in the morning to 12 midnight,with an hour break in between.When these stupid individuals mill around,I go for field work & when they have gone home,I work in the labs.

Another strange situation in which my Station Director kept me was: he changed my field of work concerning different subjects.Say for 3 years it was research in Fish Processing,next 3 in seaweeds culture,next 3 in mass culture of fish food organisms,next 3 in shrimp hatchery,next 3 in marine pollution & so on it went.

The beautiful part was I went double extra mile to study all these subjects,& published papers in all of these subjects,& is thorough in all of these.This newly acquired property made me excel in all the interviews that I encountered.It helped me in teaching all of these subjects in undergraduate & post graduate students.

Today I salute the very person who tried to break my career - it was a blessing in disguise.

Thank you Roger. I will keep walking :)

Thank you Hanno.

Thank you Deshmukh for your comment.

You are welcome Miranda

Thank you Chandravadan. I do think that these people will eventually help you.

Some people don't understand/believe in our work and try to "help" us by discouraging us. The hope we will move to something else that is worth. See the story of Cecilia Payne (1925); Henry Russel tried to dissuade her from her dissertation conclusion that the composition of the sun was diferent from the earth. It took Russel 4 years to discover that Payne was correct. The reality is that we own Payne for astrophysics. Sometimes, we just need to give time for people to digest our work.

Thank you Maria, this is a good point indeed. Obstacles will make you stronger if you have the will. We just need to step over them. Our president at AUST always said when there is a will there is a way. But some people oppose you in a destructive way. Their actions and comments are to hurt you and your career, even to endanger your job, and this is just because you did or going to do something that they can never do!

I think it's important to focus on all that is right in your work environment. There are lots of people who try and bring you down, but there are also lots of people who will get behind you and help you. You're more likely to have people who support you if you are supportive to colleagues in turn.

What I want to emphasize is by pulling down my leg in my case by some mischief mongers & even my station director,in the end I came out much more stronger,& ready to take on future challenging responsibilities.Sad to point out that these very persons are no where near me,& some of them are reduced to minuscule.

Hello Michel, I just want to share that we are in a profession for many years, perhaps 30 years. It's not for a short period. Because of this, time will be the best test. Those people that you described may win at first. But they will not succeed in the long run. Cheers, let's continue to work hard, and prove our worth to the organization!

Keep up your work as Chandravadan contended, strengthen your skills continuously, keep your head up, and always show and reflect a strong will. Your deeds and good results are visual and apparent, false claims will fall down on the long run. So, Michel, it is a hurdle you can jump high over it and do not prove yourself to anyone or justify what you believe in.

Generally, this type of colleague does not hold back with the intellectual rate it uses to destroy the career of another even at the expense of students! We must be vigilant.

If you are clear with them, he uses this intelligence with excellence around the problem and continue to make you fall in a more hidden way ...

We must continue in the right way, with good attention and ask God's help..

Well Noureddine is right, however I also recommend that since such people are always found in the same department or faculty, to try from time to time to corner him/her with a smart question that he/she is not able to deal with. You will be making your point, you will not offend anybody, and it is a matter of judgement of the response.

So, Michel, it is good to charge forward whenever there is an opportunity.

Dear Helen,

Thank you for your answer, when you're supportive good people will support you, however some "bad" people will think it is a sign of weakness. I always believe that what goes around comes around eventually.

Dear Chandravadan, thank you for your point of view. What I was pointing out is that instead of reducing people to minuscule as you said, why can't we all synergise and work together to perform better and everyone will benefit.

Dear Miranda, thank you for your encouraging words. What I am working for exceeds the organization I am in, it aligns with its goals and operational strategy, but my aim is much more than that.

Dear Dr. Hussein, thank you for your words. I will work no matter what other people try to say because I do believe in what I do (unlike them). And yes it is a good idea to corner them from time to time, but I prefer not to embarrass them with something that they do not know in public, maybe in private meetings. Although sometimes they need shots of this medicine to shake them up.

Thank you Noureddine, I get your point and I agree with what you said. I also believe that God will help us at the end.

Michel, shaking people out from time to time is done smartly and respectfully, because we hold high values and principles and we play along such rules. Not imitating the other person's personality.

Dear Michel, When you’re driving you need to focus on the road in front of you. If you look at the wall, then you’ll end up hitting it. Negativity from other people is like a wall. And if you focus on it, then you’ll run right into it. You’ll get blocked by negative emotions, anger, and self-doubt. Negativity don’t prevent you from reaching the finish line, but they can certainly distract you from it.

However, if you focus on the road in front of you and on moving forward, then you can safely speed past the walls and barriers that are nearby.

This is my preferred approach, so Focus on the road, not the wall.

This question has attracted my attention because it speaks ground realities. Unfortunately, it happens everywhere and such people exist in almost every organization.

I do agree with statement given by @András Bozsik ; @ Dr. Ahed and @Hussin Jose Hejase. Hussin Jose Hejase has beautifully advised, "It is good to charge forward whenever there is an opportunity". I just say; stay focused, keep moving, learning & growing. Don't waste your time in learning how to live with such people.

Dear Michel, every time there exists a barrier, which when you passed it, then nobody can really hold you back: It is like the escape velocity from a planet, once you reached it, then you can escape from the gravitational trap of the planet. So, my advice: work, work, work and publish, publish, publish!

My suggestion, from that type of people.....always stay on a particular difference....

Don't give... more space in your life....

Thank you Wiam, I am surely focusing on the road ;)

Thank you Asmat. I am charging forward now

Thank you Demetris, I will keep on working and publishing for sure. There are things I do that are not part of the job (officially) but I do them because of self motivation.

Thank you Nishant

Dear Michel:

In the biological world, a pathogen is anything that can produce disease, typically used to mean an infectious agent — a microorganism, e.g., virus, bacterium, prion, fungus, or protozoan, that causes disease in its host.

In our lives, there are individuals that act as pathogens, mainly like parasites, who leech on others for survival - i.e., they are incompetent.

To protect yourself from these pathogens you have to develop immunity to them. This can be done by the vast advise given in this forum - keep moving forward.

Regards,

ZAF

Thank you Dr. Abu-Faraj for your encouragement. I will always move forward. Thank you again for your continuous support.

Colleagues who try to hold you back and bring you down are frequent in all organizations. They are mostly incompetent people with no intellectual background from human relationships (sans savoir vivre!!). Many of them are envious. So @Michel focus on your subject and your road and ignore them as you said "they are destructive they only think about themselves and their personal benefits", so no discussion could be of any benefit with them.

If the leaders of your institution are honest and competent, they will help you in your work. If the leaders are themselves the envious or who plan to bring you down, the answer is difficult...it is a key question

Thank you @Fairouz

Dear Fairouz, you are completely right with your statement. But I think these people have a lot of "savoir vivre" but only for themselves. In most cases these downbringing individuals show a lot of professional success, just look at the politicians.

Yes @Hanno, many of them could show professional success in unfair milieu. If they are put in transparent milieu, their success could be easily questionable. Politicians are another kind of people who most of them are gifted in lie, in manipulation and/or robbery. Politicians are good when they are in service for their citizens, listen and respond to their queries, unfortunately they are very few, most of them are fascinated by the power and its advantages

Like "on saying please" by alpha of the plough (AG Gardiner)... positive behavior spirals with a smile and being positive.... i do not want to philosophical, even by life experiences the truth is that, Being negative always leads to setbacks, both to the PULLER as well as to the one being PULLED down, only timing may vary....

Newton's third law gets proved...

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction"....

in this case, only the reaction comes with a time difference....

Thank you Krishnan, what goes around comes around.

Well said Krishnan, "he who brings evil to others will for sure fall in evil". Maybe such people succeed on the short run but time is the witness for the payback they get.

Michel, keep your head up, continue your path and fortify your skills.

You have to always watch your back. They are sick people who thrive on hurting others. They are actually what we call "Parasites".

Making decisions with steady steps and supported with ethics and capitalizing on the scientific methodlogy, you will prevail.

Thank you Laila, this is the term that we use in here too.

Thank you Dr. Hussein for your continuous support

When things are done right, noise will be under control.

In an industrial setup, the sibling rivalry  of this kind may happen in .....situations such as "Seniors - Juniors", "Localites - Outsiders", "Language" or "clutural affiliates" or "clans" etc., Pulling down a person is by all means an unethical approach in relationship....

Hence in HRM we would be very watchful to these dynamics to "Strategically Spread" the population to a varied diverse level so that the backlashes of this effect do not occur...

In Interpersonal reationship building the window "I dont Know - Others Know" gets bigger then by all probability this situation of "Pulling down" may happen so that the individual gets exposed of ignorance or knocked off from career race....

Thank you Krishnan, you are right with what you said in industrial setup. However, I am talking in an academic setup where the instructors/professors should be role models for the students and should have the highest ethical and moral values.

In each university and each institution, you find few colleagues hold you back. I never look behind and treat with every body with respect, patience, and self-control.

I think I can convince them to be positive through kindness and forgiveness. At the same time I believe in no-blame culture.

Sometimes colleagues don't intend to hold you back, but they can be distracting. I agree with Mahfuz that kindness goes a long way in coping with this type of distraction. Focusing in on your own goals and having confidence in yourself can also help in dealing with those who may not wish you well. 

With some people, paying attention to them helps. For instance, get to know them a bit (e.g. what their hobbies are), ask for their advice and praise them: if such advice would be useless in research or teaching, then maybe they can suggest you a good holiday location or a good plumber, or explain how they made their cake taste so fine or how they take care of their flowers... They will feel more important and positive, and they will spend less energy on harming you.

It was my understanding that places of higher learning and research were ruled and dictated by reason free from emotions. But it is a hard way to know that is not some times the case.

Academics is a place where satisfaction is guaranteed by what we do passionately and by the inter faculty relations, appreciations and promotions of one another and thereby developing the academic spirit of a campus, but some people are hell bent to do the opposite. Their emotions override their intellect and squashes their learned or acquired reasoning capacity to become like a common person.

The only positive way some one can cope with such people is to acknowledge who they are, their  modus vivendi  and remain unperturbed by what they wish or do to you, and keep positive attitude towards them as it is their problem not yours. 

Though really a very painful experience, when one experiences it himself/ herself, it is a common experience, across the globe, over the ages. Evidences are aplenty to corroborate this complex situation, which affects our social and professional life.

We have ( and can give further) all prescriptive suggestions, on how to face such a situation. But that may sound like, 'easier saying, than doing' case. Many of us suffer and even face irreparable loss. It happens and we suffer. Some of us may be the 'devil', what we r referring now, may be quite accidentally (out of unplanned folly).

If we take this (pulling down episode) as an accident, then, by God, we can rise and shine once again.

No cloud can ever shroud the sun, for long. And the world is not small. We shall, God willing, shine at the right time and at a right place.

I do see this question as a derivative "Effect" of certain other "Cause'"

Why people give-up and follow or depend on others, which according to me is the opportunity being offered for other exploit or bully down...

"One can get to learn from their own mistakes without unnecessary third-party pressure – It would be a mess for sometime period, but the good news is, as long as as there comes a quick reflex and self realisation to face it and come up, thats the hard way learning which position them better in every aspects of life........For one thing is sure, There can be no human being left to help you all along ..."

Such colleagues exist in every department . They can personally do a lot of harm , only if they have information about your plans . It is generally advisable to keep your ideas & plans to yourself & not discuss this frequently with them . Researchers are considered to be loners , but this is probably , because of their experience , rather than on their personality ! Though research is considered a team work , it is preferable to maintain a low profile . This highlights the role of emotional intelligence in dealing with people with different negative personalities . Ultimately , we should achieve our goals & not fritter away our energies confronting them . The only other choice is to leave the institute & find another , but there is no guarantee that such people exist there also .

Thank you Mahfouz for your valuable answer.

Thank you Gaby for your point of view, but in my case the holding back was intentional.

Thank you Tiia for your suggestions. I do know well the people who tried to hold me back, and I know why they did that. I am always nice with them and always will be, but they are the perfect example of two-faced people, and all they care about is unfortunately the pay check. They do not believe in the mission they are doing.

Thank you Dejenie for your answer. I completely agree with you.

Thank you Rabinarayan very much for your kind and sound words that are full of wisdom and hope. It is true as Rocky said “It Ain’t How Hard You Hit…It’s How Hard You Can Get Hit and Keep Moving Forward”.

Thank you Krishnan for your answer.

Thank you Palani for your point of view.

Thank you Singh for your advice. 

I strongly believe in hard work irrespective of all nuisance happening around...But this itself will not do as some times all our hard works will get ruined by someone's politics. We also should be smart enough to know the happenings around us. But should not fully involve in it as it will corrupt our mind.  Let them do what they can..there will be value for all our hard works and efforts taken may not be immediate but may be at sometime. 

Its simple believe in yourself, you can do every thing. :) 

Dear Sanmugapriya, thank you for your answer, keep up the hard work :)

Thank you Sapna :)

There is a saying that ,

"When you look down, others look over your Head;

Whereas when you look straight, they look to your eyes."

So, maintain your self confidence and prove to go ahead.

Thank you Krishnan, I am always self confident :)

Dear Michel,

One should interpret things from different points of view. You should look on the positive side of the same fact. Colleagues who try hard to construct barriers have been working for you, because if you overcome those obstacles then you will jump further. Moreover, there is no need to be grateful. In this sense I have been “lucky” from the first day of my scientific carrier and don’t see any reason to complain. Even I can say that those guys are very helpful.

Dear Michel,

That tells they are not team players which give a glance about the organization fragile environment. Unfortunately these people are found every where and the best way to deal with them is commitment to what you believe in.

Stay calm and let your success make the noise.