The Age of the Bully

We live in the Age of the Bully. No longer memories confined to our childhood schoolyards, they are all around us. Bullying is not a phenomenon that plagues children or humans alone, but is a fact of all social life across species, ages, and cultures. At its core, it is an exercise in power—a method to elevate one’s rank by diminishing further that of other, much less powerful, individuals. Bullies display force and dare others not to flinch. They become the arbiters of inclusion and exclusion, setting and solidifying social and political norms to the detriment of those that do not conform to their vision or interests. They can be CEOs, presidents, mean girls, or hedge fund managers.

Though the trope of standing up to a bully makes for a compelling narrative, substantive change requires dismantling the systems that got them there in the first place. This is no simple task. Today we face bullies that have come to occupy, control, and often even subvert the institutions that traditionally existed to protect us.

Some of the questions that we ask include: How do you spot a bully? How do you stand up to them? Why does our social system reward this kind of behavior? Do bully-proof societies or places exist? Are there bully stereotypes? Are the bullies that evade those stereotypes more dangerous? Does gender play a role? Are female bullies less common, or do we notice them less? Does the detection of bullying behavior change across cultures? Is there bullying in the animal world? Is bullying an active choice or an inescapable psychological trait? Can you hide it? Is there such a thing as a good bully? Can there be an upside? How has our understanding of and opinion toward bullying changed over time?

This Salon took place on September 30th, 2024.