Thursday, February 2, 2012

Spread Love, Not Hate

I'm joining in on an anti-bullying event: Spread <3, Not Hate today. It's an issue I've always been concerned about. Some one I know and love has been bullied. I struggle mightily to understand why people get satisfaction from seeing others suffer. I don't get how it's amusing or empowering to them to drive someone to feel worthless, or depressed, or worse. Who made them the arbiter of what's cool, successful or smart?
I tell bullied people that they are better people than their bullies will ever be. And the best revenge is becoming the decent and successful human being that their bully is unlikely to become. Because the bullied know how people want to be treated. They know friendships should be about mutual respect and trust, not about fear or who has the power. They are too busy working on becoming someone to take time out of their schedule to belittle someone else. Because if you unjustifiably think you are the best thing there is; if you feel invincible, if your self worth depends on crushing someone else's, if you spend your time destroying other people, there aren't a lot of job vacancies for folk like that. Don't be that person! And if you have been bullied I hope you are able to find the strength to survive and become the person you want to be. The wise Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."  Don't buy the fiction the bully is trying to sell you.




Spread Love, Not Hate

3 comments:

Old Kitty said...

Hear! Hear!

I have totally no time for bullies and say raspberries to them all!

Take care
x

Unknown said...

I totally agree and Eleanor's quote is perfect for this(:

Fellow anti-bully
Katie

Anonymous said...

I totally agree Melinda. And good on you for taking a stand. I have to deal with the effects of bullying on a continual basis now that I have two little boys in school. It's a neverending dilemma.
Yvette Carol