@Somber Star  
You just mentioned how some people lack morality while still saying it’s an illusion. That’s a contradiction.

@FlutterButterButt  
That was never a factor, but good effort. Morality is an illusion created to convince people that it’s better to be a victim and leave your fate in the hands of people lacking it than to defend yourself and take responsibility for your own life. I’ll pass on that, thanks.

@Somber Star  
The only thing being surrendered here is your moral high ground.

@Cryosite  
Your surrender is accepted.

@Somber Star  

 
We’re done. Not bothering to read. You’re the one advocating violence here, and attempting to say no one is good.

@Cryosite  
You say that you understand my point and even address my context, then ignore it for the sake of your self-righteous rant. You insist that most people believe in their own goodness while at the same time acknowledging the incorrectness of their self-judgment. It is said that the cruelest people believe in the rightness of their actions, because their conscience will not deter them. Bullies do not fall into this category because they know that they are causing suffering and enjoy either the act itself or the notion that they will get away with it. It’s called sadism. You’re saying “most people” left and right like it’s relevant. Most people are not bullies.
 
And no, it’s not an unfair simplification. When a person or group bullies another, they are simplifying the matter themselves. In the act of bullying, they are stripping away all of the pretensions of civilization and acting on animal behaviour. That’s why I compared them to base predators, because that’s how they behave. Also, I did mention that the first thing to do is to take objective stock of the event. If you want to play the “most people” game, then it can be played against you, too: most people judge others based on their actions and themselves based on their motivations. In the case of being bullied, the two are the same: their actions are your motivations. It really is that simple.
 
Regarding the extent of violence you might be subjected to, by what means do you think you can gauge that? How do you know that they’re not going to take things too far? They’re already attacking you because they perceive you as weaker than themselves and have no self-control. Why would you give someone that intends to hurt you for their own pleasure or release of internal pain any benefit of the doubt? That’s insane.
 
[quote]What your context seeks to encourage is defensive and survival focus. Which is fine if you’re in actual danger. It is better to be alive and as healthy as possible after an altercation than dead or injured. You can worry about how goodly and kind you were while alive.[/quote]
 
This is all that matters. If you’re in a situation where you are being physically assaulted or even threatened with the same, you are being denied the luxury of moral superiority being a factor. You must act according to the demands of self-preservation. If you are not, then you are not being bullied, and therefore have no grounds to physically defend yourself. This is very basic logic. There are different words for different things for a reason, and besides that I did also suggest that exclusively remote “bullying” be handled accordingly.
 
The lack of self-awareness of a person attacking you is neither your fault nor your problem. In fact, it’s all the more reason to aggressively defend yourself. People who aren’t aware of the pain they’re causing aren’t going to stop themselves any more than genuine sadists would.That’s precisely why I suggested that the blow be to the face rather than anywhere else. A strike to the face is grounding. An attack anywhere else is not likely to be demoralizing and probably invites more violence. Either is an assault and I also mentioned that you will get in trouble for doing it. It’s really a matter of personal priority for the victim. If the consequences of engaging in physical violence in a society that generally shuns it are outweighed by those of allowing what is happening to you to continue, then your choice is clear. Some people really do need a hands-on lesson in why violence is the wrong answer, and bullies float near the top of that list.
 
And yes, bullying is assault, whether physical or merely emotional. That’s kind of how it works. Emotional bullying (a.k.a. heckling) shouldn’t be reacted to with physical violence, because that’s probably what they want out of you. That’s the kind you respond to by ignoring it. I said that already but I’m repeating myself because people like to ignore my words when they disagree with me. Physical bullying is a direct threat to your health and must be addressed as such. It is that simple.

@Somber Star  
I think one of the main things to remember is that you could also be the aggressor and not realize it. As you said, “As someone who has been on both ends of bullying.” I don’t think most people even realize they’re the bully in a given situation. Most people don’t go around thinking, “man, I love being a bully. Who am I gonna pick on today?”
 
Trying to narrow the subject down to only situations of physical violence is an unfair simplification. It’s best to just say, “it is complicated, don’t make blanket statements.” Don’t seek a one-size-fits-all solution. Each case is unique, even if you attempt to label them all as “bullying.”
 

 
I get the context you’re trying to say this in, but it really isn’t a true statement. Basing your situational awareness and philosophy upon it is a shaky foundation.
 
Some people are good. Most everyone thinks of themselves as a good person. People can be wrong about their self-assessment as good people (and wind up being a bully). Correcting that mistake doesn’t always involve violence, and in fact, rarely does and rarely should. If you throw the first punch, then you’re not the good one. You started the violence. You are wrong about your self-assessment as the good person. The one in the right. The one doing the right thing. Whatever you want to call it, you’re wrong. You’re in the wrong. You are the criminal, not the victim. “He started it” when they did nothing but insult you and mock you may be what your ego demands you say, but the simple facts of the matter are that you’re simply a violent person, and can’t solve problems without violence. And that is worse than bullying.
 
What your context seeks to encourage is defensive and survival focus. Which is fine if you’re in actual danger. It is better to be alive and as healthy as possible after an altercation than dead or injured. You can worry about how goodly and kind you were while alive.
 
But, once again, most conflicts aren’t life or death situations. If they are, then it is a crime being committed. “Bullying” is not the same as assault and attempted murder. Trying to focus on assault and attempted murder, and suggest it applies to all cases of bullying leads to escalation and bad results.
 
Again, react to each situation on its own merits. If someone is trying to attack you, by all means, defend yourself. If someone is calling you names, it isn’t the same situation, and punching them and/or treating it the same as a physical altercation is simply bad advice.
 
The focus on and emphasis on violent situations is misleading.

@Cryosite  
Two things I’d like to point out:
 
The victim could also get help from a friend or family member.
 
There is no such thing as a good person. If you’re in a situation where you’re being attacked, you’re either your assailant’s victim or their enemy. You can be whichever you prefer, but I’d rather take the latter over the former any day.

@Cryosite  
Very well said.

@Cryosite  
You’re right, I’m sorry. I made the assumption that the kind of bullying involved was already physical (like pushing you, cornering you, or destroying your things). I neglected to consider the more cowardly versions such as heckling and cyberbullying, which you can basically ignore, and cry-bullying, against which there is no known defense. I also failed to consider the recently grown frequency of people mistaking disagreement for bullying, because that’s so ridiculous that I subconsciously reject the possibility of it being real. So once again, I apologize.
 
The first two steps to take in the event that you feel you are being bullied are to look at your situation objectively (difficult as that may prove) to determine if you are actually being bullied, then to determine what kind of bullying you are being subjected to and defend yourself accordingly. The most important thing to remember is that bullying is base predatory behavior and is typically warded off by not presenting yourself as easy prey (i.e. projecting fear, isolating yourself, revealing emotional vulnerability, etc.). If defensive warding doesn’t work, THEN you go on the offensive.

@Somber Star  
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what bad advice looks like. Let’s take a moment to read it over, think about it, and then see how this could end up badly for you.
 
Most bullying situations are just words. People saying mean things can hurt, and should be stopped, but when you escalate things to violence, you’re in the wrong. Best case scenario, you get in trouble for physically attacking someone, but it stops the teasing. Maybe.
 
More likely, now that you’ve escalated it to violence, they can respond in kind. If they’re bigger than you, have friends or family, or are willing to use a weapon (be it a stick or a pencil or worse something like a knife) you can find yourself injured pretty badly.
 
Remember the old adage, “pick on my family, pick on my whole family.” Whatever notion you may have in your head that you’re “the good guy” ends when you throw the first punch. You might think your issue is just with the “bully” but now that you’re a violent sort, violence is permitted on you. And young kids don’t have a sense of honor that demands they personally deal with their problems. They just want to deal with you as a problem, and getting their older brother/cousin to smear the floor with you is perfectly reasonable.
 
No, there isn’t any one answer or trick that works for bullying. Each case is a separate thing. It may not be bullying at all, and just the other person disagrees with you. It might just be that they don’t like you, and aren’t polite or kind. It might be that it is bullying, because you respond to teasing in an entertaining way. It might be that the bully has some issues, and taking it out on you helps them. It might be something entirely different. How you respond to each situation differs. How right or wrong they are is out of your control mostly, and you’re very likely powerless to do anything about it. Seek help from people (adults) who are way more level-headed than you and the bully, and let them figure out what is the best course of action.

As someone who has been on both ends of bullying, I have a simple little trick for dealing with someone who is bullying you: Punch them in the face. Only do it once, but do it hard to be sure you leave a mark. They are very unlikely to ever bully you again.
 
You will probably get in trouble for it, but being yelled at by school staff is better than having them turn the other way and let you suffer.

@Tumblr Feminism Is A joke  
@Background Pony #1C35  
It honestly depends on the person doing the bullying and the situation. I’ve done it before and it has worked for me a few times.
 
However, it’s definitely not a full proof method since it doesn’t work all the time and it’s not really good advice in the long run. Bullying and depression are both complicated topics. Not one method of handling either problem is as easy or clear cut. And one method may work in one situation but it won’t work with all cases of bullying/depression.

haha ignore the bully. Like that ever works

“Ignore the bully” This is why bullies get away with bullying.