Bullies.
We all know them. We’ve all been one at some time or another. We’ve heard them talk about other people. We might have been the one who stepped back and did nothing. We might’ve been the person who told them to stop. We grow up around bullies and, sometimes, we tend to be one ourselves.
It’s impossible to sit here and say I’ve never been a bully. Because I have. I’ve said nasty things about people I didn’t like - things about their hair, or their weight, or how ugly their boyfriend was, things that (really) didn’t define who they were as a person. I’ve said mean things to people when I was angry with them, saying things that I didn’t mean, trying to hurt them where I knew it would hurt them the most… And, if I’m being really honest, I still do those things. Not as much as I used to, but I’ll still sling mud around if I’m feeling particularly horrible on that day.
I try not to, though, because I don’t want to be that person anymore.
I don’t want anyone hurt by something I said about them, whether I know them or not.
What good does it do to be like that?
So, when I see people on tumblr (and other social networking sites) badgering and bullying people that they don’t even know, it kills me. A lot of people call it “being strong” or “outspoken”, but there’s a fine line between being outspoken and plain ol’ rude. Sitting behind a computer screen and tearing someone apart doesn’t make you “cool” or “feared” or even “funny”; really, it just makes you a coward of epic proportions. If someone has a different opinion than you then leave them to it - how are your nasty words going to affect how they think? The only thing it will do is make them feel awful about themselves.
Treating someone inhumanely by calling them names or pointing out their flaws only emphasize yours. What happened if the bullies started getting bullied? They’d probably hide behind their so-called “strength” and retort back, but eventually, after enough time, they’d understand.
Maybe.
It doesn’t matter if you truly, truly, truly dislike someone, it’s never okay to sit there and treat them like they’re not your equal. Go ahead and have those mean thoughts about them, but don’t verbalize them to that person. Don’t make them feel as ugly as your soul is, they haven’t done anything to deserve it. You’re not invincible when you sit behind a computer and you’re certainly not gaining anything from it - if you really feel the need to sit in your computer and be a bully, then you need to seriously reconsider your priorities.
Don’t be the bully.
At least, try not to be.
We’re all adults and it’s time to start acting like it.
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