No.
Question answered, on with your lives....
Well... While you're here, I might as well give you my opinion on the subject.I was a scrawny computer nerd as a teenager...
I was hardly girl-bait and I got my fair share of scuffles and damage, mainly because I was a southerner, and a 'Boff'* transferred to a Northern school that has since been rebadged several times and now has the kind of name you might associate with North Korean education facility, e.g: 'Super Happy Smiling Education for Productive Citizenling learning superquest brainytime Facility'
(* Boff was a piece of slang for 'swot', which nobody other than me remembers)
Yeah, I had a fairly rough time, but having two older brothers, and softening my 'Ice-Pick through the skull' Essex accent meant that I got off fairly lightly...
Well... Considering.
Now, I have a fairly unpopular view on 'bullying', but unfortunately it seems to be born out by observation and study. I believe our conception of bullying stems from a 'natural' process, something that occurs to some extent in all social animals... The barn yard has the pecking order, the Wolf pack has a hierarchy of dominance. It is how a society forms itself. One competes against another, one wins and rises, the other doesn't... It's evolution... It strengthens us... Or at least the 'winners'. In nature, the 'losers' eat less, breed less and die quicker. It strengthens the species at the cost of the individual unit...
(which is what evolution is by the way)
A barnyard pecking order is established in the way it sounds. It's a linear hierarchy, top down... And they peck. They peck those on either side. They jostle for position. Then they stop. The order is established. You peck those close to you maybe but the order is formed and rarely changes... And crucially a 'low' bird would never dare peck the top and 'top' bird would never deign to peck the lowest. The order works.
And maybe that's how we'd work in nature, but we aren't in a terrified primate band anymore, trying to make sure the strongest lead so we can survive the winter. Like so many of our old protection systems it is archaic in the modern world and may even be doing us more harm than good. Particularly since physical and mental attributes are less likely to cause hierarchical advancement these days than accidents of birth like: location, wealth, education opportunities, having the surname 'Bieber'...
Is any campaign against 'Bullying' winnable, since it is stacked against an evolutionary process?
Now, I'm not going to trash well meaning people trying to convince others that it would be nice if everyone was a bit more pleasant to each other, or who are campaigning for better protections for the vulnerable... As I say, we aren't that fledgling species anymore... We don't need to toss anyone out as a sacrifice to evolution any more...
No, I'm, going to have a 'Gentle pop' at those who seem to want all criticism, name calling or douche-baggery to be thought of as bullying, usually using the justification that they 'were bullied before and won't take it now'
"Newsflash" everyone has been 'bullied' at least once, and they've all exhibited some bullying behaviour (maybe a friend, someone younger, a pet or even a bashed up old teddy). Perhaps you disagree... Look honestly back into your own childhood... When you've done that, read on...
Fearne Cotton, a very rich and successful broadcaster has been hitting out at critics of her presenting style in this way. The crux of the matter is that some people didn't like what she did for the BBC Jubilee broadcasts. I have no opinion of her, as I can't remember ever having seen her (although I am told she is fairly ubiquitous on 'yoof shows')
I also didn't see the broadcasts in question and can't judge the comments... What I can say to her, and all those like in a similar position is this:
If you equate being a rich person, 'unfairly' being criticised (in your view) in offensive terms with say: a teenage Christian being hounded to suicide by the jeering of his peer group over his confused sexuality*... You devalue their experience and present the 'Bully' as someone who you can't escape... Someone who can follow you round and keep tormenting you... Someone who can't be beaten.
(* he was a friend of mine)
The word 'Bully' is rightly considered a strong term. It has specific meanings.
1. A person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people.
2. A hired ruffian; a thug.
3. A pimp.
So unless that's what you mean, why use it?
It should be reserved for those who actually need it. Bandying it around for any and all criticism renders it meaningless, (like what has happened with the internet term 'Troll'). If you're vulnerable and someone is attacking you to raise their status and self esteem, feel free to accurately label them a 'bully', and as long as the term still holds meaning the world will hopefully understand your plight and offer the support you need....
For everyone else, there are plenty of terms for these people: Bellend is a good one, Twatbox, or perhaps wankathonic bumfingerer...
Anything really that doesn't falsely paint you as a defenseless victim and turn them into a towering colossus.
Question answered, on with your lives....
Well... While you're here, I might as well give you my opinion on the subject.I was a scrawny computer nerd as a teenager...
I was hardly girl-bait and I got my fair share of scuffles and damage, mainly because I was a southerner, and a 'Boff'* transferred to a Northern school that has since been rebadged several times and now has the kind of name you might associate with North Korean education facility, e.g: 'Super Happy Smiling Education for Productive Citizenling learning superquest brainytime Facility'
(* Boff was a piece of slang for 'swot', which nobody other than me remembers)
Yeah, I had a fairly rough time, but having two older brothers, and softening my 'Ice-Pick through the skull' Essex accent meant that I got off fairly lightly...
Well... Considering.
Now, I have a fairly unpopular view on 'bullying', but unfortunately it seems to be born out by observation and study. I believe our conception of bullying stems from a 'natural' process, something that occurs to some extent in all social animals... The barn yard has the pecking order, the Wolf pack has a hierarchy of dominance. It is how a society forms itself. One competes against another, one wins and rises, the other doesn't... It's evolution... It strengthens us... Or at least the 'winners'. In nature, the 'losers' eat less, breed less and die quicker. It strengthens the species at the cost of the individual unit...
(which is what evolution is by the way)
A barnyard pecking order is established in the way it sounds. It's a linear hierarchy, top down... And they peck. They peck those on either side. They jostle for position. Then they stop. The order is established. You peck those close to you maybe but the order is formed and rarely changes... And crucially a 'low' bird would never dare peck the top and 'top' bird would never deign to peck the lowest. The order works.
And maybe that's how we'd work in nature, but we aren't in a terrified primate band anymore, trying to make sure the strongest lead so we can survive the winter. Like so many of our old protection systems it is archaic in the modern world and may even be doing us more harm than good. Particularly since physical and mental attributes are less likely to cause hierarchical advancement these days than accidents of birth like: location, wealth, education opportunities, having the surname 'Bieber'...
Is any campaign against 'Bullying' winnable, since it is stacked against an evolutionary process?
Now, I'm not going to trash well meaning people trying to convince others that it would be nice if everyone was a bit more pleasant to each other, or who are campaigning for better protections for the vulnerable... As I say, we aren't that fledgling species anymore... We don't need to toss anyone out as a sacrifice to evolution any more...
No, I'm, going to have a 'Gentle pop' at those who seem to want all criticism, name calling or douche-baggery to be thought of as bullying, usually using the justification that they 'were bullied before and won't take it now'
"Newsflash" everyone has been 'bullied' at least once, and they've all exhibited some bullying behaviour (maybe a friend, someone younger, a pet or even a bashed up old teddy). Perhaps you disagree... Look honestly back into your own childhood... When you've done that, read on...
Fearne Cotton, a very rich and successful broadcaster has been hitting out at critics of her presenting style in this way. The crux of the matter is that some people didn't like what she did for the BBC Jubilee broadcasts. I have no opinion of her, as I can't remember ever having seen her (although I am told she is fairly ubiquitous on 'yoof shows')
I also didn't see the broadcasts in question and can't judge the comments... What I can say to her, and all those like in a similar position is this:
If you equate being a rich person, 'unfairly' being criticised (in your view) in offensive terms with say: a teenage Christian being hounded to suicide by the jeering of his peer group over his confused sexuality*... You devalue their experience and present the 'Bully' as someone who you can't escape... Someone who can follow you round and keep tormenting you... Someone who can't be beaten.
(* he was a friend of mine)
The word 'Bully' is rightly considered a strong term. It has specific meanings.
1. A person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people.
2. A hired ruffian; a thug.
3. A pimp.
So unless that's what you mean, why use it?
It should be reserved for those who actually need it. Bandying it around for any and all criticism renders it meaningless, (like what has happened with the internet term 'Troll'). If you're vulnerable and someone is attacking you to raise their status and self esteem, feel free to accurately label them a 'bully', and as long as the term still holds meaning the world will hopefully understand your plight and offer the support you need....
For everyone else, there are plenty of terms for these people: Bellend is a good one, Twatbox, or perhaps wankathonic bumfingerer...
Anything really that doesn't falsely paint you as a defenseless victim and turn them into a towering colossus.
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