This seems more regarding the misuse of the term "bullying" to include ""criticizing" or "making fun of" or sometimes "disagreeing with" or "condemning" or "uttering unacceptable opinions about" or "challenging and examining."". The discussion in the Boy Scouts thread was about the inclusion of the concept that bullying can be done for good reasons (is as moral neutral as a sword) whereas the kind of bullying the well-written article is clearly a blanket negative kind of bullying. When the defintion of bullying is: "Use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants." the topic can be very broad.AWS260 wrote:If anyone's in the mood to continue the "bullying" discussion started in the Boy Scouts thread, feel free to go here:
http://www.popehat.com/2013/02/13/bully ... -nor-less/
But the author of the article is right. Criticism isn't bullying. The only reason I considered the groups against the BSA to be bullying a bully is because of the extensiveness of their efforts to make the BSA do what they want (definitially bullying) rather than saying they're doing something wrong. I think they're doing good. But, it's clear now that even with the definition being what it is, the baggage attached to "bullying" prevents it from being used functionally in any way other than negatively. So, thesaurus of coerce aside, bullying can be used for little else than a stronger person muscling a weaker person around.
In any event, criticism and the other terms that the writer pointed out that people use certainly do not make sense or stand up to the bullying litmus test. Even definitionally, baggage aside, it isn't bullying. Not unless they're doing so to try and make the person they're ridiculing to change their ways. Then definitionally... maybe. Conventionally? No. Perhaps I was talking past people during that thread so we were unable to reach that understanding together.
So, great article!
tl;dr
BSA thread was about the use of the term bullying to be synonymous with positive force/coercion. (The associated baggage makes it a bad choice to use positively even if definitionally true).
The Popehat article appears to be against the use of the term bullying to equate to any little thing like disagreeing with someone or criticising and such.