Caleb - Week 10 - No Bystanders

 Starting with our time in preschool, we have always been taught that our words hold a great deal of weight and are fairly powerful. That we must choose what we say wisely as once it is said, it can not be retracted. We have been taught the popular phrase “sticks and stones break your bones but words hurt,” well this is all to warn us of the dangers of making rude remarks to our peers. Our words, more specifically our more hurtful words, give our peers an unfinished picture of what the world perceives them as and causes them to focus on the negatives and make assumptions that everyone thinks of them poorly.

Image Credit: Teenagers Characters Bullying Classmate Girl Calling Stock Vector (Royalty Free) 2064510332 | Shutterstock
 

    The reason that teachers in primary schools have tried so tirelessly to ingrain the idea that our words carry weight so much is because younger kids’ brains are like sponges and therefore both the students who are being called names and do the name calling think that what is going on is right and they will carry these habits into adulthood.  

However, teachers and authoritative figures are not always present, children and students make their own choices with full awareness on if they are good or not and have the power to affect the emotions and feelings of those around them. However, as it is in most cases, not everyone would listen to these simple instructions. That’s why us as students must not be bystanders to this but stand up against it. While we are now too old to nip the issue on the bud and not allow kids to form these habits, we can still call them out when we see them and do all we can in our power to not allow this to continue!

Comments

  1. Mridula AnandFebruary 5, 2025 at 7:54 PM

    Hi Caleb,
    I really like how your blog brings up a perspective from even childhood. What many people do not realize, like you said, is how people develop many powers when they are kids, from the power of discerning what is right and wrong to the power of being able to control their language. Since childhood has always been a developing stage, where children are adapting to their environment and slowly learning what is appropriate and what is not appropriate, it is important that from childhood itself, their children are taught emotional behavior, including how to not hurt someone else’s feelings. This is why it is the worst use of all power for a child to grow up to be a bystander, because though that may protect the child, it leaves them inside the shadow of not doing what is right, which is what the power should be utilized for.

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