While I normally talk about bullying, today I want to talk about consent and harassment. Why? Because sometimes people who are being aggressive don’t realize the impact they are having on others.
First – I want to share a video. It’s about consent and centers on the Aziz Ansari incident.
While this clearly has to do with sexual harassment, it really applies to all harassment. A lot of bullies aren’t really thinking about the impact they are having on their target. Their target isn’t really important to them. They are doing whatever horrid thing they are doing for their own reasons.
Maybe they think by acting badly – they can get the attention of someone else, or get status or whatever. The victim, isn’t really important to them. We have all been guilty of this at some point. We are so focused on what we want, we don’t think of the impact we are having on others. We all need to become more aware and begin to care about the impact we have on others.
First, understanding your actions impact others is what conscientious adults do. It’s what polite people do. They take care to make sure their actions are a benefit to themselves and others.
Conscientious people don’t litter (because that would negatively impact others). They don’t take pleasure at someone else’s expense. They don’t bully others to make themselves feel better. And they don’t coerce people into having sex.
Just because someone stops resisting you – doesn’t mean they consent. It just means that they thinking fighting you isn’t worth it. You may have won the battle, but you did so by harming someone else. Is that really the sort of person you want to be?
Good people don’t act like that. Take care to make sure your actions are a benefit to yourself and others. Always.