It is not uncommon for the brave and the “good” to gather around a campfire and discuss an individual who is not there. This is particularly so if they want to manage and handle said individual. Rarely does it occur to them that their discussions whether accurate, biased, bellicose or otherwise might be straying into the areas of both gossip, tittle-tattle, fantasy and bullying.
When does it stray from common sense preparation into bullying?
You tell me…
“When the cat is away the mouse will play”, is something Theun once said to me at a retreat. We went for dinner and when we got back people were not doing as I had suggested.
Groups of people in wanting to provide a united front can “gang up” on someone. Amongst themselves this seems to make sense. They do not consider that all this chit-chat behind someone’s back is not nice nor as welcoming as they might convince themselves it is. They can “justify” it amongst themselves…
“We are the good and the right and that Apache all on his own is bad and dangerous so we need to be ultra-prepared to face him…he is a threat… we must handle him carefully…”
Traou an Dour 