‘What do bullies fear most,” you may wonder. You may even wonder if they have any fear at all. But, trust me, they are the biggest cowards of all. Here’s everything that frightens them the most so you can use it to your advantage.
Bullies often put on an air of invincibility. They display false bravado and arrogance. However, we all know they’re the biggest cowards in the world!
In this post you will have all the answers to the question, “what do bullies fear most?”. This will prompt you to find ways to use it to your advantage.
Once you learn all about this game-changing information, you will be better able to counter bullying and bully-proof yourself.
Once you read this post, you’ll no longer wonder, “What do bullies fear most?”. These answers will be the arsenal you need to protect yourself against the onslaught of bullying.
What do Bullies Fear Most?
‘Ready? Let’s get right into it!
1. Being Exposed
Bullies get by only on appearances. The fronts they put up are only illusions and mirages. Moreover, without the facades they work so hard to maintain, they have no leg to stand on.
Therefore, the constant threat of exposure weighs heavily on them. Understand that the lives of bullies are filled with cracks that just might expose who they really are.
Think of these cracks as smoldering hot spots that threaten to blaze again. Bullies are forever running around pouring buckets of water on these hots pots.
They have to bust ass to make sure these hot spots don’t ignite.
Also, they must continuously struggle to maintain control of everyone and everything, and that’s not easy.
Bullies know that once their real personality seeps through, people will lose respect for them and they’ll lose power. And if they lose power, their mistreatment of others will come back to bite them in the ass… hard!
2. Looking Weak
Anytime you defend yourself, you become a threat to the bullies’ power. Why? Because you automatically put them in positions of weakness. This goes double if you confront them in public.
In other words, stand up to them in front of an audience, then you really make them look like punks. As a result, some bullies will retaliate to reinforce their dominance over you.
But wait, there’s another point here. When you make your bullies look weak by standing up to them, you just might start a new trend! You may embolden others others to stand up to the bullies too.
Ouch! Just the mere thought of this is painful to bullies!
Courage has a way of spreading and, once it spreads, the bully loses power. Bullies know this. Therefore, they double down by retaliating to re-enforce power.
3. What Do Bullies Fear Most?
Taking Risks
Bullies are highly insecure. Therefore, you’ll never see them take risks. They’re too cowardly.
Realize that bullies put up facades and bullshit their way through life. Again, they get by on appearances. That’s it!
Instead of taking risks and working hard to get ahead, they lie, cheat, steal, connive and scheme to do it.
4. Getting their Asses Kicked
This applies mostly to physical bullies who believe in using their fists to get what they want. Moreover, these types of bullies often believe that kicking ass is what makes a person tough and gets them respect and admiration.
Therefore, they fear running up on someone who’s a little tougher than them and getting their butts handed to them. Especially in front of people!
It’s not so much that they fear the physical pain of a good ass-whipping. It’s the humiliation and the blow to their ego that they fear most.
Moreover, they fear looking like weak little wusses. They also fear that once someone gives them a good beat down, it just may shatter their tough guy reputations and set their own asses up to be bullied.
5. What do Bullies Fear Most?
Being humiliated in public
None of us want humiliation. However, to bullies, being humiliated is the end of the world. Understand that bullies like to be A-1 best… at everything!
Moreover, they crave to be the center of attention and for all humans to worship the ground they walk on. If you humiliate them somehow, it threatens their god-like status and shatters their facade of invincibility.
They know that humiliation just might be the final nail in the coffin to their image of perfection. As a result, it may throw them of their pedestals in the eyes of everyone else.
Gasp!
And don’t think they won’t take revenge on you if you ever cause them to look bad.
6. Losing Their High Social Status
This goes especially for bullies who are popular. Their social capital is their power. Therefore, if they lose that, their power goes with it!
And they know it!
7. Losing Control over you
Bullies fear losing power over you. Why do you think they double down on their attacks when you finally begin standing up to them?
It’s because, anytime you defend yourself, your bullies feel that they’re losing the power battle. Or, they’re about to lose.
Therefore, the only way to discourage you from doing that again is to retaliate with greater force. Why? Again, because if you stand your ground and begin refusing their attempts to walk on you, you just might inspire others to do the same.
As a result, you might cause them to lose all respect, status, and authority (power).
8. What Do Bullies Fear Most?
Looking foolish
Bullies have big egos. Therefore, they don’t only want to look tough or attractive, they also want to look smart. Again, bullies want to be the best at everything, or, at least, look like they are.
If you make a bully look like an idiot, whether it’s through a good response to their attacks or a dirty trick to embarrass them, they will retaliate with the fury of Satan.
Again, the bully’s facade is that of perfection. And if you shatter their false image, look out!
9. Being Alone
Bullies are like wolves. They usually run in packs.
Strength does come in numbers. Therefore, bullies are notorious for having an entourage behind them when they attack their victims.
A group of bullies always has a ringleader, or main bully. The ringleader keeps the other group members on standby not only to intimidate you but for protection in case you stand up to them.
You must realize that bullies are cowards. Therefore, they will never have the sack to fight alone.
Moreover, social science has proved that comradeship is born when two or more people can find something (or someone)they dislike. In other words, a group must have a common enemy they can all share a passionate hatred for.
And if members of the group do not feel they can get solidarity any other way, they will find or create an enemy they can all united against.
Therefore, they may single you out and harass you for purposes of group unity. If it’s the only way they can forge camaraderie among the other bullies in the group, than why not?
Put another way, they use you as a vehicle for interaction, ingratiation, and bonding.
Again, uniting against an enemy ensures group solidarity. Each member takes turns bullying you because they know that the rest of the pack expects them to.
Therefore they commit the harassment to ‘fit in’ and get rewards of group unity at your expense. Today, we call this “pack mentality” or “herd mentality.”
And sadly, most people will do anything, right or wrong, to follow the rest of the herd.
10. What Do Bullies Fear Most?
That you’ll outshine them
Understand that bullies are highly jealous people with fragile egos. Moreover, they feel threatened by anyone who outshines them in any way.
Therefore, any success you achieve will threaten their power. Moreover, it would crush their egos. You must realize that bullies can’t handle any success of someone they deem inferior to them.
They’ll tune out anyone who brags on you for a success or accomplishment well done. They’ll downplay your achievements.
Why? Because, again, your success is a huge threat to their power. Your achievements put cracks in their superiority. They’ll do anything to block out anyone who gives you praise.
However, this is what bullies do. They put up mental walls to block any threatening messages and info. And they do this to keep anything from penetrating their grandiose sense of self-importance.
Moreover, they support those walls by hurling ugly names and insults at you.
Bullies won’t tolerate being overshadowed by a little peon like you. No. Never! So, if you ever score a huge win, expect your bullies to punish you for daring to upstage them.
Workplace bullies are notorious for bullying those who outshine them at work.
How you use your bullies’ fears to your advantage is to do the things they fear most. Speak out. Call them out on their behavior. Stand up to them and do it in public if you must. Find ways to weaponize your bullies’ worst fears!
This post gives you all the answers to the question, “What do Bullies Fear Most?” These answers allow you to have knowledge of the bully’s weaknesses so that you can weaponize them and use them to your advantage.
Related posts you’ll enjoy:
1. Jealousy and Bullying: 7 Proven Signs Your Bullies are Jealous
2. Things School Bullies Try to Hide: 13 Things They’re Ashamed Of
3. Cliques and Bullying: 3 Dirty Secrets Cliques Try to Hide
4. Speaking Out Against Bullying: 5 Ways Bullies React When You Speak Up
Hello Cherie,
Thank you for the important work you do to enlighten others on this sad reality of bullying.
My response is going to be a bit long but bear with me.
I’ve really resonated with point 10. I recently left my job because of bullying in the workplace and point 10 must’ve been the reason the bully in the office enjoyed harassing me and urging others who lacked the spine to say no to her evil influence, to join in on the traumatising.
It took me a while to realize that the bully was actually an enemy. She used to feign friendship while spewing all forms of damaging lies behind my back, until I caught her red-handed, twice. I’m someone who is very fierce when it comes to my personal boundaries and don’t take BS from anyone. She knew that. So what did she do, she would go behind my back and say terrible lies to damage my reputation to whoever cared to listen. I would just see people hating me so much out of the blue and just couldn’t understand why. People who I even barely knew.
After I caught her, I made it clear I was not going to engage ever again with her or her escorts. It would be strictly business at work. She hated me even more. She now started to hate me openly. She knew she didn’t have to hide anymore. She would occasionally say hurtful things in my hearing, to provoke me into anger so that we could quarrel loudly (she loved this and she knew she excelled at it). I thank God, I would ignore her completely even if I was hurting. I think it would fuel her hatred even more. That’s when I knew, she thought I looked down on her for I refusing to roll in the mud a long with her like she had always enjoyed doing with her victims.
She believed we were in competition at work. Whenever our employer appreciated my work or said anything that suggested that, she would feel as though she had been robbed of her power and rights. She would then put in even more effort to get approval even if it meant doing something that sabotaged the company, only if it would make her look important again, even if for a short while. That’s when I discovered that people like her have no problem acting like mad people and that they can do anything. It became so bad that they pulled a nasty trick on me and our employer let them get away with it. Why he did that, I fully don’t know, but I decided I was not going to continue to endure that treatment, and handed in my resignation.
Wow, Jermena! I’m so sorry you went through so much abuse from these people. Know that you did the right thing by handing in your resignation. No job nor amount of money is worth sacrificing your self-esteem and mental health. You health is the most valuable asset you have. Your health is your wealth and bullies are NOT worth losing your well-being just to draw a paycheck. Any employer who doesn’t deal with the bullying you suffer and throws you under the bus doesn’t deserve to have you under their employ. I’m so proud of you for standing up to them even through it only make them angrier. You showed resilience and strength in defending yourself. And you showed wisdom when you decided to quit your job and move on to greener pastures. It’s their loss and you must do what you must do to preserve your health and your sanity. Thank you so much for sharing this. It means a lot.
Wishing you many, many blessings and a wonderful future!
Cherie
Thank you so much Cherie🙏🏿♥️
You’re very welcome, Jermena. 🙂