The Turkish Shooter and Duck Syndrome

During the Paris 2024 Olympics, Yusuf Dikec, a Turkish pistol shooter, went viral. His laid-back shooting style, with no special goggles or gear, won him a silver medal and the hearts of many online users on internet. Soon after, images of Yusuf standing casually next to his fully equipped rival flooded the internet, turning into a meme. This meme compares how simple and straightforward one approach can be against a more complex one, much like comparing different products or business strategies.

But this could be a sign of the Stanford Duck Syndrome, and I believe it’s important to recognize that. The term “duck syndrome” describes someone who appears calm and collected on the outside but is actually struggling internally. It originated at Stanford, where students and professors pushed themselves to achieve high levels of success while wanting to appear as though they weren’t putting in much effort. In such a highly competitive environment like Stanford, simply achieving wasn’t enough; people felt the need to show that they could succeed effortlessly. This creates huge pressure on individuals and sets a new, unrealistic standard for success, potentially leading to more people experiencing this syndrome.

It seems we’re falling into this trap without realizing it. Marketing and content creation teams use Yusuf’s image to promote brands, highlighting his simplicity, skillfulness, and ease. However, Yusuf’s calm appearance masks the extensive effort behind his success. At 52, Yusuf has competed in five Olympics and earned a world-class medal a decade ago, following a lengthy career that includes service as an army officer. Now retired, he has dedicated over 23 years to honing his shooting skills. His achievements are not the result of casual participation, but of relentless dedication and hard work.

But we are seeing a different portrait of Yusuf on social media, There were even some made-up stories shared online about Yusuf starting his shooting career suddenly after a big argument with his ex-wife. These stories caught a lot of attention because we all love hearing about someone who randomly tries something new and ends up being amazingly successful, like winning a silver medal at the Olympics. They are all fake stories!

Why can promoting an image of effortlessness be harmful?

In my opinion, it has two main drawbacks:

First, it places too much emphasis on ease and not enough on the hard work needed for success. It shifts our focus and value to something that usually doesn’t help most people succeed. True success comes from good planning, excellent execution, lots of sacrifice, and years of dedication. However, when we highlight just the relaxed style over the hard work, we end up valuing something that isn’t genuinely valuable on its own.

Second, I believe this approach makes competition seem even tougher for others. It not only increases mental pressure but also leads to unhealthy comparisons. This makes people feel inadequate when they see their own hard work as less effective and might even think that success isn’t meant for them. They may ask themselves why are they trying so hard and achieving nothing?

These are just my observations, but I believe we all have the power to shape online content with our likes, comments, and shares. It’s important that we are mindful of the content we promote and engage with...