In you're opinion, what is a bully, what makes them tick and why do they do what they do?

Question

The answers so far are amazing and brilliant.

Answer 1

Some bullies are just looking for attention. They might think bullying is a way to be popular or to get what they want. Most bullies are trying to make themselves feel more important — when they pick on someone else, it makes them feel big and powerful.

Some bullies come from families where everyone is angry and shouting all the time. They may think that being angry, calling names, and pushing people around is a normal way to act. Some bullies are copying what they've seen someone else do. Some have been bullied themselves.

Sometimes a bully knows that what he or she is doing or saying hurts other people. But other bullies may not really know how hurtful their actions can be. Most bullies don't understand or care about the feelings of others.

Bullies often pick on someone they think they can have power over. They might pick on kids who get upset easily or who have trouble sticking up for themselves. Getting a big reaction out of someone can make bullies feel like they have the power they want. Sometimes bullies pick on someone who is smarter than they are or different from them in some way. Sometimes bullies just pick on a kid for no reason at all.

Answer 2

There are three forms of power in this world. Force, money and the third one of which I will fail to disclose to those of you who may read this who are unaware of it.

Notice I said this world. Read into that what you will.

Most people associate a bully with excessive use of force. But bully's can also be those who use money to get their way (tax abatements to the owners of the Federal Reserve System).

I guess one could argue that I'm a bully of sorts. Afterall, I know the highest form of power and yet failed to share it with whoever might read this. And I use that power to get what I want without disclosing that power in the process of getting what I want until I've gotten what it is I want.

If you're confused by this worry not...what you don't know won't hurt you.

So what makes a bully (like me?) tick? Ego, their sinful nature (all mankind), attention maybe, thirst for power. Power over others, domination.

Why do bullies do what they (we?) do? Maybe because mommy failed to love them (us?) enough? Maybe because everyone learns how to deal with other people (our people skills) based on what we've seen work (others) and/or what we've done previously (in prior relationships). This is a generalization and I'm certainly no shrink conducting an indepth anal-ysis of the psychosis of power seekers.

The fact is we're all bullies to some extent although many of us would dismiss this or argue otherwise. We've all, at some point, done something to control another person even if for a moment. Does that make us a human race of bullies?

Answer 3

A bully is one who chooses to project.(guilt ridden)

A bully can also be an enabler of someone who is trying to get away with bullying.

"what makes them tick" ---- Personal choice....free will...what makes a person choose to deal with their issues? What makes a person choose to be loving and humble?

"why do they do what they do" ---- I'm not an enabler so I don't get into the practice of excuses. Sure, everybody has a story but strangely it always stops at the story and with a person who chooses to bully, watch it because it just may be someone elses story.

Answer 4

Most human behavior, bullying, criticizing, making fun,
are defensive. Keeping people at a distance to protect ourselves.
Bullies, after getting away with so much because people don't want to be bothered. Start thinking everyone is a punk, and it goes to their head.
Don't think a bully won't fight to preserve his honor. But
you can see how surprised they usually are when someone won't take any crap off them!

Answer 5

Low self esteem, lack of self confidence. Feeling lower than others often can be redirected by acting superior or treating others in a way to make them feel superior, even temporarily. It really is an issue where they pick on others in order to boost their own self esteem and importance, but not because they're evil or twisted ... simply because they have their own psychological issues they haven't dealt with.

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For the above poster, when you snatch lines from other websites, like the entire article you just copy/pasted, it's usually a good idea to provide credit. Otherwise people might assume you actually wrote that yourself, instead of knowing that you just ran to a site and clicked control c. This is called copyright infringement, by the way. (here's your source link: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/bullies.html)