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It really matters not what you do or say anymore, you're going to make somebody mad for something. So? Forget high school? Bullies could only intimidate those who feared them. If you cower from intimidation that has no real impact on your life, you're a coward. If you're going to be condemned for whatever you say or do, why not just shrug it off and speak truth to power? I'll never forget the first time I went ballistic on a bully that was a foot taller than I was, but I'd had enough. Yeah, I beat him pretty badly, and he ran away crying with his lackeys in hot pursuit. It was junior high school, in the stairwell. Why can I still remember it today, so many years later? Easy, it was the birth of who I am now. Trust me, standing up for yourself and your opinion is quite empowering. Caving to intimidation isn't. It doesn't matter from whence it came. Intimidation is a tool of an authoritarian. How they became one is a fascinating investigation. Starting with their birth certificate, not there. How they arrived at the conclusion they deserve being called one? Dicey at best, but usually not founded on moral concepts. It's kinda like calling yourself a leader. Leaders are respected for their qualities to lead people by the votes of people they actually lead, not by intimidation or perception. Getting kinda deep here, suffice to say the more respect and authority a person demands, in all probability, the less they deserve. Why aren't you entitled to expect the same respect?  The quintessential question only becomes clear when your children and grandchildren ask you why you didn't stand up for their right to grow up the same way you did. THAT'S worse than any perceived perdition THEY attempt. Be an example !