crabs in a bucket

crabs in a bucket
 other.— «There are other people who are uncomfortable with other people around them succeeding. I was told by one of my business mentors that this is sometimes called the “crabs in a bucket” concept-when crabs are captured, they’re placed in a wide-open bucket because the ones on the bottom don’t let the ones on top escape.» —“How to Deal With Negative Influences as an Entrepreneur” by Patricia G. in Knoxville, Tennessee Gather May 4, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)