To Mock

I doubt that any person can go through life without being subjected to some sort of teasing one way or another, usually about something that is personal and unique to them. People enjoy making fun of others and in a way, it helps us unite and get to know one another. It can be used to break down barriers and even lead to political change. When it becomes overly personal and too hurtful, we can look for ways to deal with it.

Whilst it is considered good to educate and condemn the bullies, it is extremely worthwhile teaching the victims some practical methods to handle being teased and taunted. The remedy is in being able to reflect and dispel the attack. With practise it is very easy to do. If someone makes a joke about you then laugh with them, laugh even more than they do. Learn to find it funny yourself and, (a) it won’t hurt, (b) people are much less likely to repeat it.

You can be the most respected adored person on the planet and still be the butt of a joke. You will be liked and respected even more if you can contend with a small amount of humour sent in your direction. Are you going to learn to handle it at school or wait until you are in the workplace? Or are you going to put it off until you pass away? When you laugh along with those mocking you, you feel no pain, no anguish, and no hurt. In a sense, it is like an invisible person that you are laughing at. We find ourselves genuinely seeing the funny side, even though we are the one being made fun of. Some over laugh making it appear false, it is about laughing as much as you would if laughing about someone else except that it is you that it is aimed at.

To keep people making fun of you, you simply need to show displeasure, show that you hate it and feel distraught. Getting annoyed and signalling upset amplifies their attack. It makes them do it every day and at every opportunity.

Someone once said, “if you are not either, odd, weird, eccentric or strange then you are not normal”. I replied, “you seem to be all four”. I myself am very peculiar in that I am completely normal. We can embrace our characteristics or perpetually take offence when people mockingly point them out.

Those with an odd name will hear the same joke over and over. Each person that comes out with it, thinks they are the first one to do so. A refined response is used. We can think of a funny retaliation as ammo to reflect the humour back on them. Each reflection will be different for each person and modified according to the situation. I used to get irritated by people saying that I spoke too fast. They would keep asking me to repeat what I had said even though they understood me most of the time. So I would say “Sorry I w i l l s p e a k v e r y s l o o o w l y so that your little mind can keep up.” Bouncing it back in this way turns the tables and the hurt is no longer felt. The provocateur is less likely to make such comments again. It works the best when done with a big smile and in a pleasant way. Sit down and consider a reflection for your individual case. Try it out and see how it goes down. Modify it, perfect it and the problem will go away.

People who are under pressure in their work will sometimes release their frustration on weaker individuals. Making fun of others and bullying them provides the mechanism to allay their own ineptitude and difficulties. In the main, ignoring them is usually the most effective policy, but where there is little probability of violence many can find a friendly retort to the jokes.

We are “allowed” to make a joke about someone once. The same joke twice if far less funny. A third time is not mocking but victimising. We have a habit of starting with a bit of a joke and moving towards demonising people. Once = funny, thrice = torment.

Sometimes whole groups have been demonised with people referring to them as sewer rats or lower life forms. The disrespectful comments are played on the radio, spread in the news and more and more people begin to characterise a particular group as being one to be gotten rid of. It is not long before a genocide begins with wholesale killings aplenty.

An organisation that is confident in what it stands for will brush off any flak directed at them. Only when it is relentless do they have real cause to whine about it. Some want it both ways. They want to curtail any hint of derision aimed at them. Simultaneously, they use freedoms of expression to push offensive ideas, ideas which would change the fabric of the nation they are in.

Rumours can be deployed to deal with constant taunting. Ginger haired lads have a greater girth, not longer, greater girth. They are what you might call, fulfilling. Spread an appropriate rumour to highlight the advantage your notable feature gives you.