When I was about 11, I was bullied by a bigger guy at school. It led to one of my mum’s many superlative sayings delivered loud, with authority, with an Italian accent, and, this one, with a raised fist in the air too! “You have to stand up and fight for your right.” Read on
The phrase “pecking order” originated from Norwegian Thorleif Sheldrup Ebbe’s 1920s study of chickens, revealing a clear hierarchy where the strongest birds ate first while the weakest got leftovers. Building on this idea, Dr. William Muir’s “Super Chicken Experiment” in the 1990s bred highly productive hens to boost egg output. Over six generations, cooperative “average” chickens thrived, while competitive “super” chickens pecked their group almost to death, showing that collaboration often outperforms dominance.
Lobsters display similar behaviors, fighting for the best shelters and intimidating weaker rivals. And It gets worse for the timid ones when the stronger lobsters stand upright appearing bigger and meaner. Humans also engage in hierarchical behavior: confidence boosts performance, we feel “bigger”, whilst low self-esteem leads us to avoid any form of competition, (denying us the opportunities for little victories.) Winning often results in a confident body language, reinforcing success.
So when you feel like that little lobster
Stand up tall to that slimy mobster
Hold your head high and look like a winner
Remember always that winners are grinners
José Ruggero - Stories that move you 
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