I knew a woman whose main handicap was a bad allergy to chemicals such as cleaners and fragrances. She kept a small, hand-held filter mask handy in her purse when out in public. Unfortunately, she had to use it in the lobby of her apartment when a heavily-perfumed tenant was there. That woman was so offended that she started spraying things under my friend's door and she had to move.
I think that teasing works well to enforce solidarity in a group without any real confrontation, provided that it is easy for the teased one to conform. If it isn't, that almost defines them as "other" - not one of us, and not deserving recognition as having equal rights to match their special needs.
When a new house was built next to mine, the developer thought that the way to deal with my sleep disorder was to give me every opportunity to toughen up - refusing any information on which days would be quiet, etc. The new owners seemed to be continuing that policy, and this left me on edge for years until this weekend, when I had to confront them, and found that they had just been careless, not heartless, so I'm not as keen to move as I was last week.
I had been avoiding a 2nd meeting, because it seems that many bullies are just sleeping dogs unless given some tiny excuse. I hear that if one is walking through the jungle, one may see a Tiger's tail hanging down like a snake, because they often forget about it. If one just continues walking, odds of passing in safety are good, but if one looks up and locks eyes with the Tiger, it attacks instantly.
18 Aug 2019, 5:24 pm
