the guilty conscience meaning

The Guilty Conscience: The Top 4 Ways Bullies Act When You Speak Up

‘Want to know what the guilty conscience does to bullies? Here are all the ways bullies act when you finally speak out.

the guilty conscience

Have you noticed that whenever you speak out against bullying, the guilty parties always come after you and bark the loudest?

In this post, you will learn all about the guilty conscience and all the ways bullies act when you prick at their conscience by speaking out.

Once you learn all about this vital information, you will know what to expect when you expose their behavior. Even better, you will realize where it comes from when your bullies act out.

This post is all about the guilty conscience, so that you will feel less fearful of speaking out against bullying.

The Guilty Conscience

 Maybe you tell your story of the bullying and abuse that you, yourself, suffered in the past and how you’ve since overcome it.

Then, BOOM! Many haters emerge from the woodwork. They latch on and start screaming, cursing, and accusing you of everything under the sun.

Some of your old bullies may call you ugly names and threaten you. Their families and friends may even come for you on the internet. This happened to me after I published FVTV.

However, I knew where the behavior came from, so it did not faze me. If this has happened to you, realize that their behavior only comes from desperation.

Bullies with Guilty Consciences

The guilty dogs always bark the loudest. They will be the ones who get offended and engage in yelling, cursing, and throwing tantrums.

The very ones who’ve bullied and abused you in the past will come out in droves and attack you. See this as a given.

Additionally, you don’t have to call these people out by name to put them on the defensive. Why? Because knowing that you’re speaking out will make them very afraid. In fact, some will panic.

More than anything, it eats at their conscience! You don’t have to expose them necessarily. All you’ve got to do is say anything that pricks at their sense of guilt, and they go bonkers.

The Guilty Conscience:

you may also trigger People who haven’t met you or had anything to do with what happened to you.

You may also trigger strangers who may not know you or have anything to do with what was done to you. What matters is that you delivered a massive blow to their conscience!

Even worse, you made them feel dirty! And that alone drives people up the wall.

Though they may not necessarily have bullied and abused you, they may have done so to someone else. And hearing you talk about your experiences made you a reminder to them.

You caused them to think of the abuse they have inflicted on others in the past. Ouch!

It’s subconscious. They don’t realize it, and probably couldn’t explain it. All they know is that your story is rubbing them the wrong way and causing them a lot of anxiety.

This is the reason they freak out and flip their wigs.

The behavior of a guilty person is scary.

It’s happened to me. I’ve seen it up close. And believe you me, these folks become downright scary! Because when they lose it, their eyes seem to jump out at you. And they snarl when they yell at you. These people really come unglued!

But you must see their behavior for what it is, a sign of buried guilt. Understand that they are only revealing themselves. They’re ripping their own masks off and don’t realize they’re doing it.

Why would someone get so irate and have a complete meltdown if you weren’t stepping on their toes? If they didn’t feel that somehow, some way, you were talking about them, then why would they fly off the handle?

Really think about it. Pastors of churches often experience this phenomenon. During Sunday service, they’ll preach on a certain subject, then a few church members get angry over it and give him a hard time after the service is over.

My point is that if they knew they weren’t guilty of anything, they’d automatically know that the conversation wasn’t about them. Therefore, they wouldn’t care.

Remember that the people who get offended are the guilty ones. You can bet that they have, at some time, bullied you or another innocent person. Anger is revealing.

The Guilty Conscience:

4 Most Common Things Bullies and Abusers Do When You Finally Speak Out About Their Abuse

When you expose your bullies and their abusive behavior, you put them on high alert. You put them in defense mode, and they will do one, some, or all of four things:

1. Lash out at you.

This is, perhaps, the most revealing. Many bullies and abusers will go into a tirade. They’ll scream and yell at you. Also, they’ll curse you out and call you the ugliest names- everything but a child of God.

I know it’s difficult, but don’t panic and don’t be afraid. See it for what it is- you just forced them to reveal their true colors.

Why? Because when your former bullies become enraged and attack you, that’s when you know you’ve busted them. Or, more appropriately, you’ve forced them to bust themselves! So, yay for you!

Remember the warplane analogy. When a warplane is right over the target, that’s when they get the most flack. It’s the same when you call out bullying. The guilty people will attack you the worst.

2. Deny their abuse, and sometimes to your face.

Lots of times, bullies and abusers may confront you either calmly or aggressively. They will claim they never bullied or mistreated you.

Also, they may even make subtle hints that you must have “everything misconstrued.” Again, no matter how calmly or subtly they do it, this is a form of gaslighting. And it reveals a great deal about their character.

3. The Guilty Conscience:

Defame you.

The day you see their bullying and abuse for what it is is the day bullies lose control over you. If these people can no longer control you, they will control your image in the eyes of others.

They will tell everyone who will listen what a lowdown piece of garbage you are. They will spread lies and rumors. And they will project their behavior.

But, as difficult as it may be, don’t let it faze you. Realize that they’re panicking. Your bullies are in a mad rush to do some damage control.

Most of the time, your former bullies and abusers will tell others that you’re “cray-cray.” They’ll make it seem that you’re having some mental episode.

Again, they’re only revealing their true colors. Why? Because if you weren’t telling the truth, they wouldn’t care. Therefore, they wouldn’t react so desperately.

So, always see this as an admission of guilt. And realize that they fear that word about their true nature might get around and cause them to lose face.

4. Avoid you.

These types won’t bother you. Instead, they’ll avoid you like the plague because they’re scared. Understand that this is the best outcome.

Why? Because if they avoid you, you don’t have to worry about them bullying you again. They know they’ve been found out and that word of their abuse is already circulating.

So, the last thing they want to do is anything that even has a slight possibility of making them look guilty. They fear their reputations are already on shaky ground.

These people are cowards, that much is true. However, they’re making the most brilliant move by simply staying away from you. In fact, they won’t even mention your name.

The Guilty Conscience:

You must still watch out for even those who avoid you.

Be advised that not all people who avoid you will stay away from you for long. They may stay away long enough for things to cool off.

Moreover, they just might be secretly plotting revenge against you for daring to open your mouth. Different bullies and abusers react in various ways.

You must realize that bullies and abusers, even those who are formerly so, count on your silence. And they detest, or more appropriately, fear being exposed.

Exposure is the worst thing that could happen to them. Why? Because it places them at risk of losing respect in the community. And there’s a possibility that others will see them for the monsters they are.

Bullies have an image to maintain.

Bullies make everything about appearances. And when you will back the curtain, you make liars and hypocrites out of them. So, naturally, they’re going to either attack you, avoid you, or both. They may make statements such as:

  • “Well, we were just kids then.”
  • “But that’s all water under the bridge.”
  • “Just let bygones be bygones.”
  • ”Just let sleeping dogs lie.”

They may tell you to “get over it.” Also, your bullies may accuse you of bringing up old stuff. Understand that any time people make these statements, their goal is to shut you up.

The Guilty Conscience:

Other Goals Your Bullies may have

  • To minimize their past brutality and the impact it all had on you
  • To make you look like a whiner who just can’t “let the past go.”
  • To cover their backsides and minimize any dents to their reputations.
  • To minimize any backlash they might receive.

Again, don’t be afraid. Instead, see it as they’re unwittingly revealing themselves and let them do it. Let them launch their personal attacks.

In Closing

Before I close, I’d like to make another huge point:

When you speak out about your bullies and their abuse, you force them to explain themselves. Anyone who must explain and justify themselves or their behavior is never in a powerful position.

By forcing your bullies to explain themselves, you automatically turn the tables and leave the bullies in a vulnerable and subordinate position.

In forcing the bully to explain their past or present behavior, you instantly strip away their power. Why? Because power never explains itself. It doesn’t have to.

By speaking out, you put your bullies in a weakened and subordinate position.

Therefore, don’t allow them to silence you. Keep speaking out, no matter what they do. Because when you continue to tell your story, you keep them on the defensive. Therefore, they will only continue to out themselves.

This post is all about the guilty conscience so that you can prepare yourself for your bullies’ reactions and know what’s behind them.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Speaking Out Against Bullying: 5 Ways Bullies React When You Speak Up

2. Speaking Up About Bullying: Be Prepared for These 8 Responses

3.  Confronting Bullying: 4 Things Bullies Do When You Speak Out

4. 5 Things to Never Do with a Bully

5. You Don’t Have to Explain Yourself: 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t

outsmarting bullies at work

Outsmarting Bullies: 3 Clever Ways that Expose Them

‘Want to know all about outsmarting bullies so you can expose them in less obvious ways? Here are all the details you need to know about.

outsmarting bullies

You can outsmart a bully. However, sometimes, you must think outside the box and get creative to do it.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn the best ways of outsmarting bullies so that you can expose them without looking like you’re exposing them.

Once you learn all about this important information, you will be able to draw your bullies out in the open and protect yourself from them.

Outsmarting Bullies

Sometimes, you must outfox them by drawing them out in the open. For instance, many bullies will pretend to be your friend just so they can get close enough to subtly attack you.

Let’s explain further.

1. To Draw Fake People Out into the Open, Make yourself Appear Weak and Powerless.

You may think you know all the people in our lives, especially those closest to you. However, most people aren’t who they make you think they are.

Therefore, in life, there will be fakers and imposter. There will be people who will infiltrate your inner circle and pretend to be your friends.

These people will latch onto you like a tick to a dog. Then, they’ll get close enough to you to figure out everything about you.

They’ll find all your soft spots. In fact, they’ll ferret out your  intentions, the most intimate details of your life, goals, and dreams.

Once they have all these thing about you, they’ll will work behind the scenes to sabotage and crush you.

But what if I told you that there is a clever way to draw all those rogues out? Moreover, what if I told you that it won’t be an easy thing to do?

In fact, it just might be the hardest thing to do. Why? Because it requires unshakeable confidence and self-belief.

Outsmarting Bullies:

Drawing  an enemy out requires unshakeable confidence.

What do I mean by this? Here it is.

Sometimes, you must play the loser and appear weak to make the people around you feel safe. Only then can you draw them out and trick them into removing their fake husks.

This is what you do anytime you have any shred of doubt about a person in your life.

‘You see? When people feel untouchable, they become brazen, and that is when you see their true nature. Therefore, to make them feel untouchable, you must give them the impression that they’ve already won.

I won’t kid you. This will be hard to do because it will feel like a huge blow to your pride. You’ll be ridiculed, people will gloat, and it won’t feel good at all.

In fact, it’ll feel terrible, even humiliating at times.

This is something most people wouldn’t dream of doing because, as I just mentioned, it’s downright terrifying. Nobody wants to know of any possibility that a long-trusted friend could turn out to be a snake. I get that.

It feels so much safer to live in denial and act as if everything is peachy king. Also, no one wants to look weak. It feels better to appear strong even if you’re not.

It’s a blow to the ego when we’re defeated. Moreover, it feels bad when we aren’t defeated but appear that way to the rest of the world. However, trust me on this.

Outsmarting Bullies:

You never find out who people really are until you’re at your lowest point.

Only when you’re at your lowest do you find out who’s really in your corner.

So, again, if you can make everyone think that you’ve been knocked on your tookus, you’ll be surprised at the snakes who shed their skins and reveal themselves. Moreover, some will be people you’d never expect.

And you don’t realize who your enemies are until the shit hits the fan.

Any time you appear at your weakest, not only will your enemies reveal themselves, they’ll be more emboldened to act against you. And when they do, they’ll do it openly!

Why will these people will be so open with their dirt? It’s because they’ll mistake you for being powerless to fight back.

However, realize that this is the only way you can get rid of all the dead weight. You do it by unmasking it first. After all, you must know who to get rid of before you can do this successfully.

Therefore, if you do this right, you can ensure your peace of mind in the future. In that, you can remove any obstacles to your progress and more easily achieve your goals.

More importantly, you can ensure a better future for yourself.

Therefore, any time you have doubts about a friend or two, make yourself appear weak and down and out. Then watch what they do.

It might not feel good at the time, but you’ll thank yourself later. Moreover, you’ll thank all the fakers for walking into your well-laid trap and showing you what lowlifes, they really are.

You’ll smile and hold your head high as you walk away and discard them into the trash heap of history.

2. Fake a surrender to bullies to trick them into leaving you alone.

Is there ever a time when you should surrender to a bully? The answer is yes! Or, at least, make it look like you’re surrendering to them!

In life, there are times when you should pick and choose our battles. In other words, you must decide when to fight back and when to leave well enough alone.

This is a must when your bullies are extremely powerful. Why? Because it isn’t smart to fight them and give them a chance to defeat you.

Sometimes real power comes with swallowing your pride and giving in to them first. When you do this, you’ll throw them off balance.

Moreover, you’ll enrage them because they were looking for a fight and they were so sure they’d get one. But they didn’t get it.

Outsmarting Bullies:

Don’t fight a battle you can’t win.

There’s no point in fighting an unwinnable battle. Showing weakness can be a strength if you know how to use it correctly.

When you make it look like you surrender, you give yourself time to recuperate and subtly torture and irritate your bullies.

You can sneakily sabotage your bullies in ways they’d never expect nor detect. You can get what you can out of the surrender, then fight later when your bullies aren’t so strong.

Believe it or not, bullies do eventually lose power.

Therefore, you don’t surrender because you give up. You do it to humor your bullies and lull them into a false sense of complacency. You do it to fool them into thinking they’ve won.

Understand that bullies continually try to show dominance and superiority. Therefore, if you make it look like you surrender to them, it’ll be so easy to trick them.

Being submissive to them for the time being satisfies them. Moreover, it makes them feel powerful. In this, the bullies become easier targets for a later countermove.

For example, You surrender, and the bullies let you walk away. But as you turn and walk away, you can cut a silent fart in their general direction.

And they won’t think it came from you. They’ll only be looking at each other and wondering who dealt it.

Silent ridicule works wonders for self-esteem!

3. Bait and trigger your bullies.

This may be scary to do but trust me. Get your bullies angry enough at you and they will come to you. In other words, play on the natural human tendency to react out of anger when pushed or baited.

Get your bullies to react to your moves. Make them pursue you because they only expend their own energy by chasing you. An added benefit to this is that it forces the bullies to act on your terms.

Also, when you trick them into pursuing you, you automatically fool them into thinking they’re controlling the situation.

However, there’s one requirement for this to work:

You must remain calm.

Calmness allows you to think more clearly. Emotions, on the other hand, block your ability to think and strategize effectively.

Outsmarting Bullies:

Lure your bullies to your territory or to neutral ground.

When you get your bullies to come for you, always get them on your territory. If you cannot get them into your element, then choose neutral ground. Never meet bullies on their turf! It’s much too dangerous.

If you can get them on your territory, you’ll keep your bearings while the bullies will be on the defensive. Why? Because they’ll be on unfamiliar ground. They won’t feel you pulling their invisible strings.

Make your bait so sweet that your bullies can’t refuse. Use yourself as bait if necessary. Do this especially if they’re so pissed off at you that they can’t see past their desire to “get you.”

Their intense rage will blind them to reality and they’ll be more than happy to come to where you are.

Moreover, the angrier they are, the more desperate they’ll be to get back at you. Also, the easier they’ll be for you to lead them by the nose. And you’ll lead them right into the trap that you’ve prepared for them.

But do it with caution.

If you can get your bullies to dig their own graves, you’ve already won. To quote Sun Tsu, “Never interfere when an enemy is destroying themselves.”

Weaponize Your Bullies’ Triggers

The trick is to use your bullies’ tactics against them! How you do this is to find what triggers their emotions, then use it to your advantage.

And why not? They’ve been doing the same to you for a long time now, haven’t they? As much as I hate to say it, sometimes you must play the bully’s game if you expect to survive.

I know this isn’t a pleasant place to be. It sucks! But sometimes, you must wade through crap to come out clean on the other side.

Outsmarting Bullies:

So, how do you weaponize your bullies’ triggers?

1. Get them in public.

In other words, get them in front of coworkers and supervisors, or classmates and teachers. Then very sneakily do something you know will trigger them.

Bait them into a reaction. Then stand back and watch with pleasure as the bully yells, screams, curses, and exposes themselves in front of everyone.

If you live in a one-party consent jurisdiction, record the outburst, and if you’re sure it’s safe, blast it all over social media.

2. Befriend others they have bullied (preferably people who’ve been fired or no longer have any contact with the bullies).

Then have them spread it all over social media. Give the bully the reputation they so deserve. Befriending others the bullies has harmed has a way of getting under their skin.

Bullies hate it when you talk to people they hate. Also, they especially hate it when all their victims unite and form a group!

This really ticks them off because, deep down, it intimidates them. Think about it, bullies always run in packs and they catch you when you’re alone.

However, when a group of target victims ban together, the bullies feel threatened. Why? Because they lose power.

Exposure is the best way to conquer bullies! So, out them! Better yet, trick them into outing themselves!

This post is all about outsmarting bullies so that you can expose them for the creeps they are and, at the same time, protect yourself from them.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. How to Spot Fake Friends: 7 Proven Tricks to Instantly Out Them

2. 7 Secrets to Instantly Expose Bullies

3. How to Disarm a Bully: 13 Clever Comebacks that Work Wonders

Instantly Expose Bullies

7 Secrets to Instantly Expose Bullies

Instantly Expose Bullies

‘Want to know how to instantly expose bullies for who they are and get your life back? We must learn how to do this effectively if we even hope to regain peace in our lives and reclaim our personal power.

in this post, you will learn 7 secrets to instantly expose bullies.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to rip the mask off and keep yourself safe. Introducing, 7 secrets to instantly expose bullies and unleash your power. These are things that I learned through trial and error and wish I had known when I was young and enduring bullying myself.

However, know that there will be a certain degree of risk involved. But also know that you take a risk each day by walking outside. Risk is something no one can escape unless they want to live a meaningless life.

  1. Know your enemy.

    How you do this is to stand back and always OBSERVE the people around you, but without looking like you are watching them. Pay close attention to body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. I can’t stress enough the importance of this. This is how you find out who the trouble makers are.

    In other words, if you see another student gossip and make trouble for others, you can be sure that in time, they will do the same to you. This is how I now know who to avoid at all costs. However, be advised that avoidance will not work if you have a determined bully after you. If a person wants to get to you badly enough, they will seek you out until they find you.

  2. Document everything.

    As it has been said, “if it isn’t documented, it never happened”. Keep a journal and write down everything. I did this in junior high and high school just in case one of my bullies either hurt me bad enough to hospitalize me, or worse…killed me.

    Moreover, you must write down the names of your bullies, the names of any bystanders or authority (teachers, principal, or any member of authority) present at the time the altercation took place, the date, time, place it happened, what happened and if possible, why it happened. Also, record what is said and by whom. Document every… single… detail!!

3. Never reveal anything that you wouldn’t want anyone to know.

You’ll be asking for trouble and it’s better to be safe than sorry. You never know when your bullies might turn them against you. And once they do, you can be sure that your former friends will be more than happy to tell all!

 

4. Keep a low profile.

Don’t do anything that may draw attention to yourself. And stay away from places the bullies may gather. Think, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Just don’t make it obvious to your bullies that you are ducking and dodging them. I avoided several confrontations by simply laying low.

However, if the bullies do seek you out, they will risk exposing themselves because the people who know you and aren’t influenced by the bullies will see what is going on and know they are stalking you.

So, keep that in mind as well.

  1. Save any threatening texts, emails, social media messages or voicemails. 

And if possible, set your cellphone to record during any altercation brought on by a bully, provided it is hidden in your pocket. You certainly do not want the bully to know what you are doing.

Also, keep your composure and be sure not to tarnish the recording by yelling or using foul language. Schools are now becoming more aware of the issue of bullying. If you happen not to have a cellphone, keep a digital recorder handy (if possible) and be ready to record as soon as the torment starts.

  1. Never brag about any evidence you have on your bullies.

Not even to your best friend…PERIOD! Again, bullies have a knack for prying information out of people, even your friends. They can also turn your friends against you, making them more than happy to volunteer the information. Don’t do it! Anytime you are a target of bullies, you are in no position to trust anyone!

 

  1. Call the bully out in front of an audience. 

This is risky and could bring retaliation. However, the bully will also know that you are on to him/her and you just might intimidate them enough that they will leave you alone. It happened for me on a few occasions. But keep in mind that this doesn’t happen for everyone.

Calling the bully out in front of people can also humiliate the bully and make that person more determined to get you. So access the bully’s personality and the situation carefully before you decide to do this. Also, you could, very slyly, force the bully to expose him/herself. You can learn how, right here.

Exposing the people behind the masks bullies wear can be risky. However, if you want to restore your reputation and ensure your safety, it may be the only choice you have.