I’ve run across a few of your comments and you seldom fail to make me think. I like that a lot, so thanks! And — gosh no — I’m not suggesting stronger bullying! lol. Although that made me laugh, for sure.

I agree that some bullies aim to make others conform to their opinion, but from all the research I’ve read about bullying, the underlying theme seems to be the need to establish superiority.

If you think about it, that’s what trolls do, too. Sure, they push buttons to watch the other person’s reaction — but isn’t that a kind of dominance, too? I think it is.

Side note — Have you ever read the book Extreme Mean (by Paula Todd)? Interesting stuff in there. In particular, I was fascinated by the part where she puts trolls and online bullies in the same room as their victims. One of the commenters refers to “masks” — that’s a big part of it online.

Can’t say I look at it as “rude people” and “nice people” — although I’ve probably slipped up and used the term. (I’m imperfect like any human.) But yes, I do know that people who behave rudely can also behave nicely. That’s why I call it a choice. Because it is. We choose how to behave. Hence the Viktor Frankl quote at the end.

You’ll notice I followed you. I really enjoy meeting people who can share an opposing point of view in a respectable way. Just scrolling through your profile I notice how often you do that. We need more people like you.