Being bullied is never a pleasant feeling for either party. I say ‘either party’ because it’s self-explanatory why it’s not pleasant for the bullied, but as for the bully, some argue that even the bully, in the long run, is quite likely to understand his horrible actions and feel anything but proud about it.
Many of us who were bullied at any point in our childhood have left it with a busted sense of self-esteem, irrational fears, or even anxiety, which is very hard to fix. But faith in humanity remains, as seen in this Tumblr post and one of its wholesome and uplifting responses.
Being bullied, let alone called "ugly" as a kid, is never a good thing, as it may end up in trauma later on
Image credits: Andrew Mager
Tumblr user oh-wow-lovelies shared a post under the hashtag #GrowingUpUgly, pointing out one of the many tactics that bullies used to use against her.
In particular, being considered “ugly” by peers by means of a bunch of guys convincing one of their friends to ask a girl out as a joke, only for her to get heartbroken and bullied.
There were a number of people who added to this, saying how this would inevitably break down one’s self-esteem and that they would end up very much convinced that they are ugly, and once you grow up, you’d be unable to take compliments seriously.
Several Tumblr users shared just how much being considered "ugly" in childhood sticks to you
Well, among these replies, one stood out. A Tumblr user by the nickname terminalpolitics came back with a pretty uplifting, wholesome, and reassuring response to all of this.
But, another user stepped up and gave a rather uplifting, wholesome and reassuring response to this
The user recalled a story from their school days about one girl in the class who would constantly be called ugly. Looking at the class picture today, from a grown-up perspective, she looked like an ordinary girl, not ugly at all, but kids were kids back then, and adults failed to do anything about it.
They humored the idea that perhaps none of the respondents in the post were actually ugly. Not only was this very likely kids experimenting with the limits of “callous human cruelty,” but it was also the fact that all kids look like they are weird humans in progress.
The user shared a story of how he was looking through school pictures and how the "ugly" kid wasn't all that ugly really, bringing out a point of injustice
The point was brought to terms of “is what society dictates as ‘ugly’ truly ugly?” This quickly becomes a form of control that is by no means justified, wrong, and hence, not true to reality. Nobody deserves to grow up oppressed and ashamed of being themselves. “They don’t grow up ugly, they grow up emotionally abused.”
According to Stop Bullying, an official website of the US Government, such bullying ultimately leads to things like depression, anxiety, increased sense of sadness and loneliness, changed sleeping and eating patterns, decreased academic achievement, participation in society, and, eventually health issues.
All because someone arbitrarily decided you’re “ugly.”
He went on to discuss the unjust emotional scarring that being called "ugly" has left in many people, saying they deserve love and respect regardless
Terminalpolitics ended by saying that these people—the respondents, or anyone who used to be called ugly—are not ugly. Even if nobody, even themselves, could say ‘you’re not ugly’ to themselves, this Tumblr user did it, and continued with the reassurance that they did not deserve to be treated the way they were, and that they actually deserve happiness, love, and respect. “And you will find it. I promise.”
The Tumblr post quickly went viral, garnering over 300,000 notes. And why wouldn’t it? A fellow human came out to restore faith in themselves and humanity among internauts who needed reassurance and support. And I think we can all agree they achieved it.
Post image credits: Terminal Politics
What are your thoughts on this? Do you have some wholesome stories of reassurance? Let us know in the comment section below!