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-   -   Is bullying always a bad thing? (http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=59212)

Andrew NDB 12-01-2017 11:59 AM

Is bullying always a bad thing?
 
https://www.secureteen.com/uploads/2014/03/bully-3.jpg

http://static6.businessinsider.com/i...p-bullying.jpg

http://static6.businessinsider.com/i...g%20swirly.gif

http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-bu...ys-a-bad-thing

Is it? Or does it build character and (sometimes) force or encourage positive change?

newfan 12-01-2017 12:09 PM

I'm not sure I'd view having my head flushed down the toilet as helping my character build.

Bullying can break/traumatise people.

FredWolfLeonardo 12-01-2017 12:11 PM

I believe it is always a bad thing, but only for the bully as they have a character flaw and make an idol out of bullying others in order to gain satisfaction rather than just being content regardless, which makes them inherently unhappy and frustrated individuals prone to bullying others even more in a vicious cycle.

For the bullied, I see it as neutral in the same way that someone's house being wiped out by a storm or someone getting severely injured by another man by accident is neutral. Some will learn from it, grow stronger and move on while others will be believe their life has been ruined and they will become more insecure and unhappy.

The Deadman 12-01-2017 12:31 PM

This shouldnt even be a question.

Wesley 12-01-2017 01:58 PM

Depends on the extent of the bullying. The bullied might learn to be able to fight back and stand up for oneself.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...t-popular.html

Sumac 12-01-2017 02:35 PM

Bullying is always a bad thing.

Kids and teenagers should learn to fight back through other means.

ProphetofGanja 12-01-2017 03:03 PM

To me this question is asking, "is a bad thing ever a good thing?"

And the answer is no, no it is not.

But what can be deemed good or bad is the response to an instance of bullying, on the victim's part, their peers' part, the parents' part, teacher's part, even the bully themselve's part

IndigoErth 12-01-2017 03:04 PM

Always. Mentors, idols, etc should be a force for change for kids/people who look up to them and want to emulate something about them.

It is NEVER a random peer's job, duty, obligation, or right to try to force change in someone else, and certainly not through bullying. We don't accept it among adults, so I don't know why we look away when it's kids.

If I didn't like a co-worker, should it be my place to bully them until they change into someone I do like? Wtf, no. It is no one's job to become someone I like. (Even if that person is themselves an asshat.) It is not a crime that they exist within your presence as a person you don't enjoy being near. To think we should try to force someone to change what they can't - and shouldn't even have to** - because their presence is somehow an affront to our existence is ridiculous. Anyone who acts otherwise truly thinks the world revolves around them and belongs to them.

Should we bully a bully until they become a nicer person? Oh that'll work real well.


**Save for things they've become that are harmful to them, like drug addiction. But bullying is no good there either and is never a useful tool.

Andrew NDB 12-01-2017 04:53 PM

By and large I think bullying is horrible and agree that bullies themselves are often coming from broken homes with questionable parent figures. Additionally, if I ever found out my daughter was being bullied in school, oh boy would I go to war over it.

That said... I think that bullies can be a useful tool in certain cases. I know at least a few dudes from wayyy back in the day who learned to grow a backbone and stand up to some, providing an early life lesson (how to stand up for themselves, self worth, respect when the bullies are taught a lesson) they might never have learned otherwise. I tend to place pretty good odds they probably would have grown up to be pansies without that, given their initial trajectories.

Papenbrook 12-01-2017 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndigoErth (Post 1732208)
We don't accept it among adults, so I don't know why we look away when it's kids.

There are exceptions. On social media and/or news articles, people berate and mock each other all the time.

People don't seem call that bullying, though.

Quote:

Should we bully a bully until they become a nicer person? Oh that'll work real well.
And yet, people continue to do it.

The world never changes. :roll:

IndigoErth 12-01-2017 05:26 PM

Well, I was thinking more in terms of work vs schools. (Sure, it happens in some work situations, but with any luck and decent managers/HR the polices set in place will help see that it's dealt with.)

The internet is kind of assumed to be a cesspool where many of all ages will delve into the most asshat form of themselves.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB (Post 1732220)
I know at least a few dudes from wayyy back in the day who learned to grow a backbone and stand up to some, providing an early life lesson (how to stand up for themselves, self worth, respect when the bullies are taught a lesson) they might never have learned otherwise.

I'd like to think that in situations like that many actually also have good people behind them who could be credited in playing a part, maybe a larger part, in helping encourage the person to summon the courage to take a stand for themselves.

plastroncafe 12-01-2017 05:58 PM

Coming out of a bad situation well doesn't somehow magically exonerate the people who made the situation bad in the first place.

CyberCubed 12-01-2017 07:09 PM

According to popular myth bullies only bother other kids because they feel insecure about themselves and have a troubled home life.

MsMarvelDuckie 12-01-2017 07:21 PM

In a word, yes. Bullying is always bad. And if a person is able to rise up and stand up for themselves, and move past it, they were always strong to begin with. A person who is weak emotionally as well as physically will likely never have the courage to stand against bullies. It takes inner strength not to cave in or become lost.

CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy 12-01-2017 07:31 PM

Bullying.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bullying

: abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger, more powerful, etc. : the actions and behavior of a bully

Replace "bullying" with "rape" or "assault" or "murder" or "abuse". Is rape always a bad thing? Is assault always a bad thing? Is murder always a bad thing? Is abuse always a bad thing?

I rest my case.

Cure 12-01-2017 07:41 PM

Murder isn't always a bad thing. Some people just got to go.

CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy 12-01-2017 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cure (Post 1732248)
Murder isn't always a bad thing. Some people just got to go.

In that case, though, is it murder or execution? Word choice isn't always semantics.

plastroncafe 12-01-2017 08:54 PM

Nah man, murder is never okay.
Killing on the other hand can sometimes be justified.

Prowler 12-02-2017 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newfan (Post 1732167)
I'm not sure I'd view having my head flushed down the toilet as helping my character build.

Bullying can break/traumatise people.

Does that even happen in real life? Shoving someone's head down the toilet? Because I've never seen or heard of that happen in real life. And I've seen and experienced bullying before. Seems more like a movie thing in general.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Deadman (Post 1732174)
This shouldnt even be a question.

Andew likes to stir the pot :lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed (Post 1732240)
According to popular myth bullies only bother other kids because they feel insecure about themselves and have a troubled home life.

That's a bit of a stereotype. Most of the big bullies I've met have been actually part of the popular crowd. As in upper middle class students with good grades that were popular with girls and their male classmates in general. Aka people with social proof.

Storm Eagle 12-02-2017 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Deadman (Post 1732174)
This shouldnt even be a question.

It really shouldn't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB (Post 1732220)

That said... I think that bullies can be tools.

Fixed that for you.

Chris Rock said something similar to what you said, and mentioned that we wouldn't have people like Bill Gates who was also bullied. Unfortunately, kids will use that as a lame excuse to be bullies, and claim in their defense that they're doing something good when they really aren't. Kids are prone to do dumb things like bullying and it shouldn't be justified.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler (Post 1732269)

That's a bit of a stereotype. Most of the big bullies I've met have been actually part of the popular crowd. As in upper middle class students with good grades that were popular with girls and their male classmates in general. Aka people with social proof.

Yet they still feel the need to berate others. Just because they're popular and have good grades, it doesn't mean they might not have something going on. They're clearly insecure about something.


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