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| pokoko said: Yeah, the OP's justification of bullying as some kind of positive life experience is just bullshit. Abusive behavior has always ruined lives no matter how far back you go. Do some people get through it? Sure, though some of them end up with serious issues. My father was bullied by his step-mother. He ended up mean and tough. Is that a success story? I don't think so. He wasn't very good at being a father and husband, he had trouble keeping friends, and his temper was absolutely frightening. Fear of my father defined my childhood. He was completely unable to apologize and complex emotions and responsibility made him go out to his shop and lose himself in work. One of his brothers became an alcoholic and died from it. One of his sisters became a hypochondriac with mental problems. Another brother was a pathological liar who also had a scary temper and a history of violent behavior. These are people who grew up in the 1950s and 60s. No, bullying has never been a positive. |
The sad reality is you never really get over it. It will always be with you. The husband of good friends of ours has started suffering from Alzheimer's and is now reliving all the bullying and abuse from his childhood on a daily basis, causing him to lash out violently. He has been admitted to a care facility for his own and his wife's safety.
Hopefully you can break the cycle. Luckily we don't live in a time anymore where the only advice was "Sticks and Stones" and recognize that physical abuse is only a part of a much larger problem.
