> since these feelings must be what the bully wants. To the bullied saying something like that may feel as digging own grave. Maybe. Its a vulnerable move beca

> since these feelings must be what the bully wants. To the bullied saying something like that may feel as digging own grave. Maybe. Its a vulnerable move because what happens next is up to the bully. Almost everyone in life needs to find a way to tell a hero story of themselves. If the bully is telling themselves a story that "its just some lighthearted fun", then that story will struggle to survive the uncomfortable reality of whats going on for you. Almost everyone I've ever met is like this. Decent people instinctively respond to vulnerability with vulnerability. But yeah - sometimes people are actually sociopathic and want suffering for its own sake. Giving sociopaths more power is rarely a winning move. I can count on one hand the number of people who've responded to me expressing vulnerability by doubling down on their awful behaviour, or weaponising that against me. I don't think I've ever regretted burning people like that out of my life.