“A Recipe for How to Make a Bully” [posted to Facebook 01-21-2014]

One of the writing prompts I used to use in my Creative Writing classes was to have students create "recipes" for abstract qualities like Love, Faith, Hate, etc.  I gave them this as an example.

“A Recipe for How to Make a Bully”

                                                      4 parts Ignorance

                                                      2 parts Brutality

                                                      1 part Mob Mentality (Peer Pressure)

                                                      Passion to taste

            Begin with a “clean,” uncorrupted container.  Do not add Education or Experience that would dilute the Ignorance.  Add to the Ignorance, 2 parts Brutality and 1 part Mob Mentality and stir, seasoning with Passion.

            This mixture creates one human Bully at any age above 2 years.  Starting early increases the yield; it grows with age.

            Serves one or a multitude; historically, has led to one-on-one playground battles, gang fights, lynchings, witch hunts, clan feuds, border wars, civil wars, and World Wars.

            Goes with all forms of Prejudice and is usually served any time opportunity arises, usually when something does not go as planned, and someone—other than oneself—is needed to Blame.

            Also known as Racism, Ageism, Sexism (all other “–isms” of this nature), Bias, Bigotry, and, sometimes, plain Stupidity.

            Taken in large doses, this mixture can produce Insanity, Torture, Capital Punishment, Coup d’Etats, Genocide, Cultural destruction and other forms of human perversions.