What is a bully?

[Dessi]

Would being surrounded by bullies 24-7 make someone snap?

Yes.

Without looking into school shootings on a case-by-case basis, I would say shooting innocent people is indicative of some other motivation aside of revenge against bullying.

Speaking for myself, I was bullied relentlessly up until the point I got into a fight and suspended out of school.

I was an easy target because I was visibly queer, I was the ugly kid, and socially inept beyond redemption. I started carrying weapons to school, like crowbars, and I had fantasies for hours about breaking someones skull with it. I think if the right set of buttons were pushed, I would have. Even just thinking about it now makes me absolutely rage.

School shootings, no. Beating the ever living **** out of bullies, yes yes yes.

 

[Justinian2]

Yes.

Without looking into school shootings on a case-by-case basis, I would say shooting innocent people is indicative of some other motivation aside of revenge against bullying.

Speaking for myself, I was bullied relentlessly up until the point I got into a fight and suspended out of school.

I was an easy target because I was visibly queer, I was the ugly kid, and socially inept beyond redemption. I started carrying weapons to school, like crowbars, and I had fantasies for hours about breaking someones skull with it. I think if the right set of buttons were pushed, I would have. Even just thinking about it now makes me absolutely rage.

School shootings, no. Beating the ever living **** out of bullies, yes yes yes.

One Science Fiction writer used to say that the way to find a bully is to ask someone who they would like to kill. A well adjusted person would not actually do it, but he might think the thought. No well person would ever kill the innocent, or even the guilty. There are better ways to solve a problem than by taking the law into your own hands.

Getting bullies to ignore you is the main objective. If I were a bully, I wouldn't get into a cage with a small 20 pound wildcat because, even though you might kill the wild cat, he might blind you.

You sound like a dangerous and ferocious wildcat.

 

[BobTheCoward]

Bullying seems to exist in human instincts to some degree everywhere. From purely viewing a human as a biological entity, is bullying wrong? Is the act of porpoises murdering dolphins for sport wrong?

 

[Pardalis]

I don't buy the naturalistic excuse.

I've noticed bullying in budgerigars too, but humans have a bigger brain and a conscience, and the choice of not bullying.

 

[LSSBB]

One Science Fiction writer used to say that the way to find a bully is to ask someone who they would like to kill. A well adjusted person would not actually do it, but he might think the thought. No well person would ever kill the innocent, or even the guilty. There are better ways to solve a problem than by taking the law into your own hands.
.

Was the Science Fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard? A lot of people would have liked to kill him. Maybe he said this as a defensive tactic.

 

[Justinian2]

<snip> A lot of people would have liked to kill him. Maybe he said this as a defensive tactic.

The bullies attack their victims because they are different. It seems to be the justification of bullies that people who don't conform to their standards need to be bullied.

Subtle peer pressure is not a bad thing, but bullying people into conformity is a bad thing.

I would hate living in a world where everybody was exactly the same.

 

[Twiler]

The bullies attack their victims because they are different. It seems to be the justification of bullies that people who don't conform to their standards need to be bullied.

Subtle peer pressure is not a bad thing, but bullying people into conformity is a bad thing.

I would hate living in a world where everybody was exactly the same.

I think bullies want victims, not duplicates of themselves.

 

[Spindrift]

The bullies attack their victims because they are different. It seems to be the justification of bullies that people who don't conform to their standards need to be bullied.

Subtle peer pressure is not a bad thing, but bullying people into conformity is a bad thing.

I would hate living in a world where everybody was exactly the same.

There are standards and there are standards. I don't think that trying to get criminals to conform to community standards is bullying. Nor is exposing people who lie about themselves and make up insane things even though lots of people believe in the lies.

 

[Complexity]

What do you think of the link to the Characteristics of a bully?
Do you think bullies precipitated any of the 59 School shootings that have happened in the last 15 years?

Would being surrounded by bullies 24-7 make someone snap?
Is humor a sign of someone that is NOT a bully?
Do you think people like Simon Cowell are enablers for bullies?

Please follow the member rules and stick to the subject.

I rarely follow links, and only from those whom I respect.

What makes you think that your OP is worth investing any time in?

Is it a characteristic of $cientologists to try to micromanage discussions in a control-freaky sort of way?

 

[Complexity]

Do you think this is true?
Do bullies form gangs?

Quit asking questions and get to the point - say what you want to say and quit trying to get us to say things that you will try to twist to your purposes.

 

[fuelair]

Dear Justinian2,

A bully is someone who gets a mild emotional high off of terrorising people. In other words, a bully is a low-grade terrorist.

Cpl Ferro

Miracles do occur!! We agree on something!!!!!

 

[ufology]

What is a Bully?

All I have to do is post here and more than likely one or more will show up to continue their attacks on my character, flaming and mockery, actions that fall squarely under cyber-bullying definitions in several places. I've had private emails expressing sympathy for how I've been treated, but I have as much right to be here as they do, I'm a good person and I'm trying to help the JREF in my own way. So I don't think it's fair that I should have to leave the forum or pretend I don't know what they are doing by having to put them on ignore. And I don't think I should have to be sanctioned or censored because I stand up to them.

 

[sadhatter]

All I have to do is post here and more than likely one or more will show up to continue their attacks on my character, flaming and mockery, actions that fall squarely under cyber-bullying definitions in several places. I've had private emails expressing sympathy for how I've been treated, but I have as much right to be here as they do, I'm a good person and I'm trying to help the JREF in my own way. So I don't think it's fair that I should have to leave the forum or pretend I don't know what they are doing by having to put them on ignore. And I don't think I should have to be sanctioned or censored because I stand up to them.

If your looking to increase your reputation resurrecting a zombified thread is not exactly the best way to be going about it.

 

[Krikkiter]

All I have to do is post here and more than likely one or more will show up to continue their attacks on my character, flaming and mockery, actions that fall squarely under cyber-bullying definitions in several places. I've had private emails expressing sympathy for how I've been treated, but I have as much right to be here as they do, I'm a good person and I'm trying to help the JREF in my own way. So I don't think it's fair that I should have to leave the forum or pretend I don't know what they are doing by having to put them on ignore. And I don't think I should have to be sanctioned or censored because I stand up to them.

C'mon ufology... I and others have told you before in the "UFOs: The Research, The Evidence" thread (and in other discussions ...), that people aren't attacking you personally, they are attacking your methods.

Your post in this thread is terribly off topic.

 

[JJM 777]

bully is someone who gets a mild emotional high off of terrorising people.

No bully ever used humour in my experience.

bully is a person who uses fear, intimidation or violence to control the behaviour of another person against their will, and gains pleasure from doing so.

bully is a person who inflicts pain and humilation on a person because they enjoy it.

All of these characteristics are possible, but not necessary or conclusive.

The victim is perceived to be helpless and most of the time innocent of any wrongdoing.

This definition sounds quite universal.

I never had much of a career as a bully, I remember a few isolated incidents where I hit or kicked the helpless boy of the class when a girl was around to see it. Impressing the girl was the sole motive for it, the helpless boy was only an instrument for showing off that I have some status in pecking order.

I guess a lot of bullying is motivated by showing off one´s status in pecking order to third parties other than yourself or the bullied person.

 

[ufology]

C'mon ufology... I and others have told you before in the "UFOs: The Research, The Evidence" thread (and in other discussions ...), that people aren't attacking you personally, they are attacking your methods.

Your post in this thread is terribly off topic.

Wrong. Many many comments have been made that have nothing to do with my methods or the information I've posted, but have been directs attacks on my character, in some cases using my real name intentionally along with words like "dishonest" to cause my name to be associated with these defamatory remarks during Google searches. Add to this many many many mocking graphical images that do nothing to address the argument, instead designed to demean participants who don't agree with the cabal of flamers who are in on it. Add to that the constant jibes, often too subtle to get on the radar of the moderators, but that together add up to significant discomfort. I have the .mht files and screen shots to prove it, but I have made no formal complaints except to the moderators here, and one to the JREF fund raiser who I told I would be making no donations because of it. I am hoping that things will smooth out enough that I can continue participating in that thread without the further attacks. But if they persist, I will not back down. I will continue to make my case to the moderators. Hopefully there won't be any need for it to go beyond that.

 

[Justinian2]

Wrong. Many many comments have been made that have nothing to do with my methods or the information I've posted, but have been directs attacks on my character, in some cases using my real name intentionally along with words like "dishonest" to cause my name to be associated with these defamatory remarks during Google searches. Add to this many many many mocking graphical images that do nothing to address the argument, instead designed to demean participants who don't agree with the cabal of flamers who are in on it. Add to that the constant jibes, often too subtle to get on the radar of the moderators, but that together add up to significant discomfort. I have the .mht files and screen shots to prove it, but I have made no formal complaints except to the moderators here, and one to the JREF fund raiser who I told I would be making no donations because of it. I am hoping that things will smooth out enough that I can continue participating in that thread without the further attacks. But if they persist, I will not back down. I will continue to make my case to the moderators. Hopefully there won't be any need for it to go beyond that.

Good luck! It is hitting below the belt to use your real name. Don't use your real name. Geez! There is NO morality on the internet. Assume everybody is a cyber killer (a killer of your cyber self). Morality only extends to the real world (except for a few of us)

 

[ufology]

Good luck! It is hitting below the belt to use your real name. Don't use your real name. Geez! There is NO morality on the internet. Assume everybody is a cyber killer (a killer of your cyber self). Morality only extends to the real world (except for a few of us)

Thanks for the moral support! The moderators have now clamped down the problem thread, approving each individual post before publishing it. Suddenly there are far fewer instances going on. Coincidence? I doubt it.

This has given me some time to reflect on the whole issue of cyberbullying as well. Often we hear that the whole concept of cyberbullying is ridiculous, after all if you don't like being exposed to it, then don't go to the forum. On the surface this seems fairly logical. But is it really? Internet forums are the playgrounds of a new generation. They are where we and our kids meet up and learn to socialize. We don't tolerate bullies in our playgrounds so why should we take our ball and have to go play in some other forum? It's really no different at all with respect to the emotional and psychological damage that can be done to those not resilient enough to stand up to it.

Similarly, putting the offenders on ignore isn't any different than turning our back while they pick on someone else. I'm pretty crusty and I can take a few slams, but the JREF is making a serious effort to reach out to schools and the community for support. Can it really afford to gain a reputation for cyberbullying? I don't think so or schools will drop it like a hot potato. I post in various other forums and have found that my experience here is not unique and that the JREF forum has already gained a questionable reputation. How ironic is it that a UFO guy is among those who has taken a stand? We must maintain civility so that those with different points of views and beliefs can come here and benefit from the exchange. After all, aren't those with some of the far out beliefs not some of the very people we are trying to reach?