question_answer 16)

Have you ever changed your opinion about someone or something that you had earlier liked or disliked? Narrate what led you to change your mind.

Answer:

In my early days at school, I was a bully. More often than not, I bullied people psychologically and emotionally. Later, I ended up being a physical bully as well. I started out as what was probably the jester, or class clown. When it became more than the students could handle and said they had enough of me, it evolved into physical bullying.   I justified it to myself saying that I bullied people who let themselves be bullied. To my mind, they were without self-respect or people whom I didn't respect for whatever reasons. It was unfortunate because peers associated me with pseudo-leadership and physical violence. It became a burden with people wanting to brawl to throw me from my 'throne'.   I had to fight when I didn't want to as I had to live up to my reputation. Everyone was either afraid of me or hated me. At times, I had students who stood up to me. Eventually, I ended up beating them down. Then, something changed as I grew a little older. I read 'it takes a real man to walk away from a fight'. And I was actually happy the day I swallowed pride and stepped Back from a fight. I got a friend. And when I had more friends, I wasn't afraid they would beat me up. I was happy that for the first time someone didn't just let me run amok and let me step all over them.   Bullying is a lonely business. People hate you or fear you. Till date, my biggest regret is the way lives have been changed because of my actions. I created complexes in people who carry them around to this day. I once got into a fight with a kid I grew up with. He was the smartest kid in school, just as big, and well taught in martial arts, but I beat him to a pulp. He never recovered emotionally and dropped out of school because of the shame. We have friends in common and they still talk about it. It's hard to deal with the fact that things you did as a stupid kid will have and have had long lasting effects on people.   Although I excel in martial art, I have realized that things such as honour and integrity are what make a man a man. People began liking me more and I liked myself more when I used my mind and not my fists.