WHEN BULLYING IS GOOD

WHEN BULLYING IS GOOD

A cranky opinion for

CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY

The following is the opinion of a cranky old man with no expertise in the subject opined. Opposing opinions are welcome.  The will be ignored, but they are welcome; and please, no name calling.  That means you, you big stupid head!

Now don’t judge, I am not in favoring of bullying, it can be horribly disruptive to a person’s life.   It should not be allowed in school, in play and at any time…except some bullying is good.

What is bullying?  Sometimes bullying is societies’ way of correcting behavior.  If the corrected behavior is negative behavior, bullying is good.  If the bullying group does not understand behavior which is not negative or destructive and seeks to correct it, bullying is bad.

Have you ever seen a four year old brat who has been totally spoiled by his parents?  They give in to his every demand.  If he whines or throws a tantrum he gets his way.  If he wants something, he just takes it.  He does not care about anyone else’s property.  His parents may have good intentions, but they just have no idea how to temper his temper.

Fast forward to about the second grade.  The little brat probably still has issues at home, but in school and around his friends he does not whine, does not throw tantrums, and has respect for other people’s property.  How does this happen? 

Peer pressure…otherwise known as bullying.

First graders will not put up with negative social behavior.  They will tell the brat to shut up, grow up, and stop being a baby.  They will not play with a brat and will shun him until his behavior conforms to first grader standards.  Peer pressure will correct behavior that parents do not.

Peer pressure will stop nose picking, body odor, bad breath and whining.  Peer pressure is society’s remedial counseling.

In some cases, to paraphrase Gordon Gekko, “Bullying is good.”

On Wall Street greed pushes economic forces in a positive way, but if uncontained, greed can corrupt.  On the playgrounds peer pressure will change bratty behavior, but if not monitored and directed, bullying can corrupt. 

When people do not understand behavior that is out of the norm, they attack it.  It is instinctive to change that what society does not understand through peer pressure.  That is where bullying is bad, and forces have to step in and contain it.  The bullying behavior is not necessarily the problem; the problem is redefining what is normal and acceptable behavior in society.

Kids, everyone really, need to know that it is alright to be a loner, it is alright to be really smart, it is alright to have really big ears, it is alright to be overweight, it is alright to be liberal, it is alright to be conservative, it is alright to be Gay, it is alright to be weak, it is alright to be musically talented.  Kids are learning what is acceptable in society.  They want everyone to conform to what they understand.  If we want to end negative bullying, we need to concentrate on defining to children, everyone really, behaviors that are different, but not negative.  Children, everyone really, need to recognize behavior that is different but positive or at least neutral to society, and nurture it or leave it alone.

Peer pressure, bullying, is good, applying it to behavior that is not negative is bad.  If we want to eliminate negative bullying, we need to redefine negative behavior to our children… everyone really.

The preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man and not necessarily that of management...Mrs. Cranky.