The Underlying Tone That Everyone Ignores

By Savannah

Personally, I love comic books. As a female, it’s always quite satisfying to walk into a comic book store and be the only/ one of the only girls there. It makes me feel unique, very much different from everyone else. The other day, I picked up a graphic novel/ comic book, called “I Kill Giants”. And I have to say, it’s brilliant. The story tells of a girl who makes up fantasies in her head, in order to cope with the fact that her mother is dying of cancer. But no one knows this; so she’s physically bullied by nearly everyone at her school.

It made me think about how cruel people, particularly in our generation, are. It seems as though unless someone is outwardly saying their feelings, that people seem to lack the capacity to empathise and care about feelings. As though we shouldn't treat people with respect, especially if we don't know who they are and where they've come from. Respect, despite what some believe, shouldn't be earned. It can be gained or lost, that's for sure. But we should always have respect, until we see fit a reason to lose it for someone. And then, even when people do outwardly discuss their emotions, they're “attention seeking”.

To a certain extent, everyone can understand body language. No matter what we say, how we stand and move exposes how we truly feel. Even our tone of voice does that. So, maybe before hurling abuse, look for that underlying tone of discontent that everyone ignores? Do they often sit alone? Do they regularly nervously avoid eye contact? Even more blatantly, do they self harm? If the answer is yes, then help, rather than hinder. It's unfair to beat people down for your personal gain. People who bully claim to be in difficult positions themselves. I'm not denying that this is the case, but what they lack is understanding. They don't know how to read other people's emotions, because theirs must always be put first.

And if you are a bully, my message is simple:

We all know how much words can kill.