by Tracey Cozby

Created on: August 09, 2008

In my daily musings...something crossed my mind that really got me to thinking. Why do people feel the need to be bullies and gossip mongers? It is a subject I ponder on from time to time. Today...I think I found an answer. At least an answer that I can appreciate and understand. Please understand...this is not about any one person. It is just from my lifes experiences and my thoughts.

Why do people bully? Is it from their environment and just the way they were raised or from a lifetime of being the one who was bullied? I think both. I wasn't really bullied when I was growing up. I was made fun of about my looks when I was in junior high and my maiden name was just great fodder for picking on me. For the most part though, I was well liked by everyone in grade school and high school. I didn't make fun of anyone. I may have from time to time but I tried to not make a habit of it but being a teenager...it's going to happen. I had friends in all peer groups. I am now an adult and making fun of people is not something I will do. I still sometimes do say a snide comment from time to time out of sheer frustration.
I have been the subject of being bullied and gossiped about for going on 10 years. Until today...I never really understood why. I used to be a smartass and say I was the center of these people's universe. Today I really thought about people who do those things. My own theory is that these individuals have been the subject of being bullied and gossiped about for the majority of their lives. They will be damned if someone is going to get them so they lash out in ways that really make no bit of sense. They do and say anything they can, whether that is a lie or the truth stretched to its' limit, to make themselves look good and in a positive light. Call if a defense mechanism if you will. They have lived their lives being the subject of ridicule and bullying. They are not wanting to be in that position any longer so what do they do? They attack before someone attacks them. I've been in the position of wanting to attack before someone attacks me. It's an ugly place to be. It says a lot about self esteem or lack thereof. The self esteem is so battered and beaten that logic is not a part of who a person is. It is an act not react position.

This brings me to sitting in on judgment of people. Being a judge means getting all sides to a story so you can make an educated decision upon the subject at hand. It is the only way a person can judge anything regardless of what

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