To basically adopt the phrase 'it'll (bullying) put hairs on your chest' is so ****ing masochistic. It's different at work, you're there for a specific reason, and that's your focus. You didn't,essentially, go there to make friends. You're there to earn money. Adults have that option to make friends elsewhere. At school, interaction is forced and essential to be moderately comfortable there. The same could be said for people in work, but there it isn't absolutely necessary you make friends.
And if, as an adult, you're not happy where you work or you want friends and that's not something you can get at the current place you work, you have the option to easily hand in your resignation and find another job. (Although in this climate,I know it can be difficult.) As a child, you're herded like a sheep to go from one place to the next, either by teacher,parents or grandparents..you get what I mean. You have no choice in these matters, because your adults 'know best.' Hahaa, I'd just like to add that's a load of ****ing bull****. I'm smarter than most of the adults I know, I'd say apart from like Matthew, my dad and sister Siobhan...I should be guiding these ****wits who somehow, once 18, grant themselves permission to treat you as an inferior because they've lived a few years more.
Perhaps if we educated children from an early age that this pack mentality that perpetuates the idea that for the sake of acceptance and 'friendship' we should marginalise and victimise individuals, and additionally, conform, is quite frankly, a load of ****ing bull****. It's simply not necessary. I think it encourages immorality later on in life (if I can do what I like, and treat people how I like in school,I can do it anywhere), and encourages a kind of egotism and and insensitivity because you're just looking out for #1. More developed education about sensitivity and empathy may prevent, or help to prevent, bullying.
This defence mechanism, or 'toughening up', that children often adopt instead of suffering this unpleasant and demeaning experience can only help you so much.You're still probably going to feel incredibly lonely and anxious. Who the hell could say they really liked being ignored in this manner? If you did, you're lying.
Since I was perhaps 9 or 10 I've been bullied. My classmates, whores in the years above me at school,strangers who don't like my appearance, it goes on. I didn't, and still don't, need to suffer this for the sake of preparation later on in life. I repeat, I'm not a masochist. It's not necessary for me or anyone to have to endure this traumatic abuse for 5-7 (maybe more) years of my life. This bullying has caused me to become such an anxious and unhappy person. I'm repressed, and when I do get angry, it's difficult to control because I was always alone and I could never say anything back to these people.Now, I go overboard. If someone insults me, even if it's trivial, I will go all out to hurt you too. (Haha, my temper often ends up terrifying people.)
Work and school are two separate, dissimilar environments. It's funny, because as I was typing and saving this on my phone at school, my 'friends' had (subconscious or not, idk) formed a circle to gossip about (predominantly other girls) and complain about their mundane lives. This excluded me, I was on the outside of the circle (or my chair was,anyway).This was not how the chairs were arranged at the beginning of lunch. As usual this girl called Jo took control over the conversation, all attention was directed towards her. What a pathetic excuse for a beg, haha.
Anyway, I had previously tried talking to them earlier, they weren't interested, and I received one or two word replies. What's the point of me constantly trying to join in when they are always going to exclude and ridicule me?
What victim of bullying would accept they should endure this kind of treatment because it makes you a stronger person? It's easy of you to encourage the idea that people currently being bullied and marginalised should work through it and make the best of this ****ty situation, you're probably not going through this,are you? You might have never been. And if you have received this kind of treatment in the past, it's over now. I'm just saying, it's easy of you to sit there and tell people like me to suffer through it.
After all, why take the advice of someone who doesn't have to confront this reality 5 days a week, or deal with the consequences of feeling worthless and lonely?