Hey guys - it's been a decent spring break, long enough for me to miss it so let's hope that this post can be up to my standards (which I'm not sure of.)
Today, we're talking about bullying. Alright, no, I won't give a long lecture on how it's wrong, the different types of it or make it sound like a counselor does, which is "very bad and it should stop." Honestly, I agree but to say it like that doesn't get the message through to most, as they will get a picture but it won't be strict to them. I will say, that bullying is just wrong, some people just can't take it and to be true, it happens on accident too, but it's our jobs to try to prevent it.
I, myself, used to be pretty involved with bullying. People would usually say that I was the perpetrator, but in my defense - well, I was defending myself. I didn't like nick names, so I returned the favor in something worse. Hey, I was too immature to know better, but once the war started - I didn't stop it. So it went on for a few years. Now, I'm older, got a lot more life lessons and I know how to get out of these situations, unless I do want to stick around to help (which varies.)
Though I think this school I'm in is decent, I won't say that there isn't bullying. In this particular example, it would've been peer pressure and bullying, or some type. There are always a few kids, that see when you have some money, they'll take it 'teasingly' and start to run around with it. Of course, you'll see the kid chasing the bully for their money. I've been in this position myself, and most watch (finding it amusing or just not wanting to step in.) Honestly, I have to say my reaction to this type of bullying, varies as it depends on the people, if they're okay with it and their personalities. Some really do just like it as teasing, thinking it's funny and punching each other around. If it's my friends, who I'm not fully friends with, think it's just teasing and having fun - I will standby and 'laugh' about it. If it's one of my friends that's really not comfortable with having their money taken, I would step in and ask for the money back, if not, take a physical approach (even if it's not wise, but sometimes words aren't enough.)
In terms of bullying or exclusion in texts that our class has studied this year, I would be relating to the shadow of the minotaur and the holocaust. In the shadow of the minotaur, the main character had been bullied for being different, in the fact that he had originated from out of town. Physically and verbally, later in the book - virtually.
Exclusion had happened in the holocaust as Jews had started to be excluded from many places, from homes, businesses and people - just for being Jewish. It was more extreme that just your simple exclusion of a new kid at school, yet both are bad to some degree.
After watching a video, I started to think a little about it, and how I would respond, as well as what Eve herself did.
"Differences between us did not cause hatred. Hatred caused the differences between us." - Eve
The familiar thing out of everything, was that Eve wasn't really pressured but in being desperate to be part of the 'In Group', she had turned to mock someone who was outcasted like her. This happens often, as I've known people who weren't really 'in', they were somewhat decent or not really, as they just tried too hard to be 'IN.' Surprisingly, out of all this, Eve had the nerve to do that. You would think she understood what it meant to be an outcast, while instead she was making it worse for another outcast, but she continued on. Eve's story was really all about bullying, or exclusion as she was an outcast herself, being somewhat bullied by others but later, she had turned into a bully/bystander as she had been involved it making it worse for the fellow outcast but still let it happen.
Eve was desperate to 'belong', the chance to mock someone else (that wasn't her), she definitely took her chance, not thinking twice about it. Her response troubles her now, cause as she looks back, she realizes she shouldn't have, as she did understand what the other outcast had been going through but there was no thought on bullying the outcast further. Now that I think about it, I, myself would've just told the popular girl to 'back off.' If I were more brave, I would stand up for the fellow outcast and retrieved the diary for the outcast, but I'm not.
“Often being accepted by others is more satisfying than being accepted by oneself, even though the satisfaction does not last." Now. What would that mean?
It feels good to be accepted by others, much better then being accepted by just one or yourself. Though the feeling of being accepted by others, or the in group, is great - the satisfaction doesn't last as long as if you were to accept yourself or be accepted by one (since being accepted by one brings you way closer then to be accepted by a jumble of people.)
So, hey, thanks for reading. I threw in some personal experiences and made some connections, so hope that made for a somewhat interesting post.
I know there's Kony going on, so I'm just going to go along with the 'STOP KONY' and 'KONY2012.'
So, I'm just going to throw this out there.
'STOP BULLYING2012.'
How original. :)
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