Mockers are losers. That’s why they mock. If they already feel badly about themselves, why not spread the negative Karma? You may be in certain situations where you think the person doing the mocking is “cool”, as long it isn’t directed at you. Mocking or taunting is never cool. Why not?
Kids and adults mock others to feel “better” or “superior” for a short period of time. In the long run, it proves that mockers are losers. There’s something radically wrong when a person tries to make himself or herself feel good by making fun of others. Tearing down others, especially in front of a crowd, is never a good idea. When you mock others, you are belittling them and showing others what a loser you are.
Samuel M. Silver wrote, “To belittle is to be little. To be grateful is to be great.” Please, don’t be little. Praise others. If you really feel mean, pick on a lamp. Right now I want you to point at a lamp. Say, “Lamp, you’re the dumbest lamp ever invented!” Now, freeze! Look at your hand. How many fingers are pointing back at you? My guess is three. Your index finger is telling the lamp that it’s dumb, and three fingers are pointing back at you! So, who’s really dumb, you or the lamp?
Of course, you’re not dumb or a loser. But kids who feel good about themselves and the direction their lives are taking don’t mock others. They accept others as they are-warts and all.
For years I had only one “rule” hanging in my classroom: “Thou shall not mock others.” Yes, I wanted it to sound almost religious, and if you only have one rule, it becomes the law of the land. No matter how old we are, we don’t want to be mocked. We want to be treated fairly and well by others. That one rule transformed a group of kids into one large extended family. We became a small community that cared for and trusted each other. Introducing the “no-mock rule” on the first day of school was like waving a magic wand that brought us all together as friendly learners. Why?
The bottom line is that feelings always matter in life, especially in a classroom. And each student knew that as they entered my classroom. I told the class on Day One that their feelings were as important as their big toe. Nobody wants to get their big toe stubbed or stepped on.
In school, as a student and teacher, I was good at not mocking, but I did tease in some silly ways. Sometimes when a student corrected me in class, I would slowly amble over to him or her with both arms stretched out, as if I were Frankenstein. Then I would put my hands gently near his or her neck. At this point the whole class was laughing. And, if I had been a tad annoyed at being corrected, by the time Frankenstein got to his victim, Frankie was smiling too. With the whole class smiling, I would scoot back to the front of the class and start teaching again. They always enjoyed the break in the regular routine.
You might consider this unusual behavior on the part of a teacher, but being funny in unexpected ways was part of the fun of teaching. Kids like teachers with a good sense of humor who are willing to laugh with them, take life in stride, and don’t mock others.
Nonetheless, as a kid, I didn’t like being called “Silly Sottile.” I resented it. Nobody likes being mocked. I tried to ignore any mocking of my name. Sometimes it was easy. Sometimes it wasn’t.
As an author, I just hope you remember my last name. “Silly So-til-e” works for me. I don’t consider it mocking me anymore. I like the alliteration in saying it that way. It rhymes, and kids remember my name longer that way.
If you’re mocked, it’s always good to remember what Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” In other words, you do have some control over your reaction to unkind words.
Yet it is true that sticks and stones break bones, and mocking words CAN HURT YOU, but the real losers are those that need to mock others to spread their own misery.
Be delighted that you’re not one of them because they can never truly like themselves or feel happy. In other words, don’t be like them or else you will never truly feel happy. They must share their misery to feel much of anything. How sad! Such losers! I’d rather foster sunshine (and like myself!) than rain on anyone’s sense of self-worth or dignity. What about you?
