All Bullies are Cowards, and What They Fear Most
Muhammad Ali was arguably the all time, world’s greatest boxer. Once in an interview when he was at the peak of his career, he was asked what would he do if a complete stranger came up to him and slugged him? Ali responded, “I’d turn and run ’cause that man must be craazzy!” So was Ali a coward? No. The truth was that he, Ali, could have easily beaten just about anybody to a pulp back then, and he knew it. But Ali wasn’t a bully, either. He feared no man, only his God, as he often said throughout his life.
Pretty much everyone can recall back to childhood, or even in young adulthood, when they were victim to a bully, knew someone who was, or saw the ugly act of bullying.
We now know that all bullies are cowards, bastards who feel they must throw their weight, wealth, and/or position around to mask their deeply imbedded insecurities. Dig into their childhood and one can usually find the root of this mental disorder. Perhaps they were abused as a child by a family member. Perhaps they themselves were the victim of one or more incidents of bullying. It may explain their behavior, but it does not excuse it.
Equally if not more responsible for the continuation of bullying behavior, are those who endorse and encourage the bully. You know the ones. They are part of a bully’s gang and, in being so, feel that they, too, are just as big, bad, tough, wealthy, and powerful as their bully leader. They rally behind the bully, adopt his positions and opinions, and cheer him on, thereby feeding continued and more aggressive bullying behavior. They feel, falsely, safe being in the bully’s gang. Sometimes they will even lash out themselves at those outside the gang, usually the meek or helpless, just to prove their commitment to the bully, or possibly to gain the bully’s recognition. Indeed, some of the gang will even adopt ideas and beliefs that are extreme and even beyond that of the bully leader.
Again, all bullies are cowards.
Muhammad Ali never bullied anyone. He was his own man. Yes, he had bravado by the ton and voiced it to his professional gain. But he never bullied anyone and he was no coward. Indeed, he was a caring man with a wonderful sense of humor and a love for his fellow humans, especially for the downtrodden. He was a true humanitarian.
If bullies are cowards, what are they afraid of? There are varying degrees and types of fear at play. Perhaps their greatest fear is for the truth about them to be revealed for all to see. Think of the old western stories where the town bully constantly throws his weight around town picking on the simple town folk. Eventually, a stranger comes into town, either John Wayne, or Paladin, or some other western badass, and confronts the town bully, who then cowers in shame. The veil of the bully is lifted to show him the true coward that he is.
Unfortunately, the real world is not an old western story. Karma usually catches up with bullies sooner or later in life. A few, however, get away with their grotesque behavior most of their lives by successfully perpetuating their personal charade through cunning, self-promotion, braggadocios verbosity, and ever increasing bullying behavior. Stalin and Mao quickly come to mind as prime examples, but there are many others. For these few exceptions, Karma usually catches up to them posthumously — again, think of Stalin and Mao.
That a bully may be revealed for what he truly is, is, of course, a never resting threat to the bully. But the threat is equally as great to the undying and unwavering belief of the most faithful followers — the serious gang members. Even when the truth is revealed of their bully leader, they cannot, nay, they MUST not accept the truth, for to do so would also shatter their own self-identity. As such, even in the face of resounding truth, they will not admit. Facts are lies, falsehoods that were created and perpetuated by their common enemies. What they believe is the truth! As my dear old dad used to joke, “Don’t confuse me with the facts son, I’ve already made up my mind!” Again, look at the diehard followers of Stalin and Mao. They built mausoleums to their dear dead leaders. Much of the truth has finally been admitted about Stalin’s atrocities and his corpse no longer lies in his tomb in Red Square. Mao’s faithful still hold on to the lies, however, as his portrait still hangs all around the Red State. (If you really want to know the real horrific story about Mao, read, Mao, the Untold Story, by Jung Chang. It’s a bit of a tome, but an amazing read.)
And so, even today, some bullies continue to live well under the cloak of their lies and insecurities, propped up and emboldened by their “gangs”. The bully leader can never admit to doing wrong, saying something in error, or making mistakes and will never apologize for anything, for to do so would risk breaking the glass facade for at least some of his followers, his gang. More frightening, however, to the bully leader would be admitting to himself that his feet, too, are made of clay, that he is not the self-anointed “Messiah”. To do so would be the total ruination of his deluded self-image. This cannot, must not, will not happen! Hitler fits well into this image.
Thinking back again to the old Westerns, even more rewarding than having the tough Stranger show up and give the town bully ‘what fer’, was when the townspeople themselves finally stood up to the bully and his gang. The voice and power of the people should always be the factor that brings the bully down to his cowardly reality and just reward.
May there always be enough brave souls in the real world to come together and do the right thing at the right time.
