We've all known people who bully -- it's a definite type. They've been in the news a lot lately, especially Internet bullying. It's easy to put people down in an Internet format rather than face-to-face, although some bullies seem to relish face to face conflict.
The San Francisco Chronicle recently ran a great story titled "Why Bosses Might Bully." Here is the lede of the story: "Bosses who feel incompetent are more likely to bully subordinates, according to a study being published in the journal Psychology Science. It goes on to say that "leaders who are in over their heads tend to resort to browbeating to protect their egos."
I always suspected that feelings of inadequacy were behind bullying in general. When people are happy and their life is going well, they usually don't feel the need to criticize everyone and everything. I've noticed that unhappy people tend to spread that unhappiness through their negative personality. That's why I avoid people whom I consider "toxic."
Have you been bullied? Do you have theories about bullying?
as we get older, we can choose with whom we spend our free time....choose wisely!
Posted by: Lindy Beatie | October 23, 2009 at 08:04 PM