Bully: (noun) a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people (www.dictionary.com).
Please notice the part where it reads “smaller or weaker people.” Notice that it does not say “successful people who don’t like having not-so-flattering things written or said about them.”
I will have more to say about this. Bet on it.
Happy Friday!
The Friendly Pedant by Mrs. Odie 
I’ve seen this subject come up quite a bit lately. If you blog, and allow people to make comments, some people are gonna say some shit. You’re aware of that, obviously, which is why you have that “try not to be a shit” admonishment. I have a couple of YouTube videos of me playing the guitar–because I’m vain like that–and man, the comments some people leave–because it’s easy to do that on the Internet–are unbelievable. Some people go out of their way to say some fucked up shit just to be dicks. But honestly, I have never felt “bullied” by anyone’s comments. How can I? I put myself out there, and, yeah, people are gonna go off. My wife, on the other hand, gets pretty upset about some comments, and always feels the need to respond, justify, have the last word (you do this a bit, too). I don’t get it. It’s just the fucking Internet. Anyway, looking forward to your upcoming post on this subject.
I disdain people who have to have the last word. To me that means they are trying to justify their character flaw. Most of the times they make more of an arse out of themselves by continuing to talk. I have learned after 43 years to tune them out after a few short moments and half of the time, I don’t even hear the Justification of WHY.
Me too! Oh, shit. I just did it, didn’t I?
I’m not so sure I agree with you that it is people trying to justify their character flaws (and it’s not because I’m trying to have the last word :)). I think you’re oversimplifying it. There’s lots of reasons people do it, and I’m guessing insecurity is probably number one. Speaking strictly for myself, I think sometimes it’s not wanting to be one-upped and letting it lie there–definitely a character flaw in and of itself–but, oh, the power of just not responding, and not feeling like you have to respond.
If you respond to this, I promise not to hold it against you.