Could you resist a taunt?

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I just can't... someone says "don't do that"... and I can't do anything else but that... I think it's such an obvious lack of knowledge of psychology most people have due to that... unless, of course, people responding to taunts is exactly what they want to elicit the countereaction and then further responses... some people's aim is war, after all... but it's so annoying, I'm trying to resist something for at least a few days and I keep thinking about it, intrudes upon me...

Is "don't do that" a taunt?

A "taunt" is when someone teases you, or makes fun of you, insults you. Pushes your buttons in some way that you're sensitive about.

Saying "you're ugly, and your mother dresses you funny" would be a taunt in most cases.

Calling you a "four eyes", or a "fag", or a "Heb", or the N word. Depending upon the context and depending upon whether you're senstive about. Those might be "taunts".

Telling you "dont smoke on school grounds" is not a "taunt" (in most situations). Its just a rule they want you to follow.

But ofcourse you're right that rule might provoke some teens to do just that, smoke, when they never thought of it otherwise. But that doesnt make telling you the rule a "taunt".

Hey, what's the point of saying those words? They're unneeded.

And sure, but the point is the same... the smoking example is one thing, though... it's reasonable not to do it on health grounds. What gets me is absolutely idiotic, arbitrary nonsense, or worse... hypocrisy, can't stand it...

If somebody tells me not to do a thing, I usually like to consider the option of going ahead and doing it, but whether or not I do depends on the exact instance. I certainly wouldn't just plough ahead and do it simply because I'd been told not to. But it helps my willingness to comply if whoever it is that's telling me not to do a thing takes the trouble to give me a sensible and truthful reason why they don't want me to do it. It also helps if they're not doing that thing themselves, and if they're applying the rule to everybody rather than discriminating.

But the same is true if I'm told to do a thing (rather than being told not to do it). I seem to remember reading that an authority figure can get more compliance from people if they phrase their commands positively rather than negatively, i.e. "don't do that" is less likely to be obeyed than "do this," but to me there's no particular difference. They're both seeking a change in my behaviour, I've got a mind of my own and I'll consider their suggestion. Though some people and organisations have earned such a bad reputation with me for their dishonesty, dirty tricks, and self-serving antics that I'm probably biased towards defying them by default, if I think I can get away with it.

The "point of saying those words" is so I can understand what the friggin heck it is that you are talking about, so I can accept your invitation to talk about it.

Eddie Brock and I both were confused. But I cleared things up for everyone by asking you to clarify. And now its clarified that you are not talking about "taunting" at all, but are talking about something else.

you're welcome.

Actually ... if the teachers tell you not to smoke then that is not a "taunt".

But if the other kids poke fun at you, and say "I bet you dont know how to smoke a cigarette", and that provokes you to spite them and to try your first cigarette, then THAT would be a taunt.

Thanks for clearing things up.

noisserped I believe what you describe is know as reactance in psychology.

It would depend on who is taunting me and the situation in which the taunting happens.

This thread has nothing to do with "taunts". Read the thread please.

Understandable mistake, though, given the title.

nooo