If the past semester of college has taught me anything, it’s that most people suck. They will stare at you rudely, make snarky comments, and question your validity.

No one quite knows why this happens. Some say it is jealousy or envy; others say people are just bored or feel better by putting others down.

But not all people are like that. Some people are kind and generous. They admire and understand, smile at you, maybe compliment you.

When it comes to dealing with such negativity, people say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” or “shake it off.”

Why doesn’t anyone just say “stop”?

Why must we “shake it off” if we can eliminate the problem right then and there?

It’s because these things are a lot easier said than done. Because people will do anything to pick themselves up, even if it’s by putting others down.

People talk, assume, and get jealous. They say and do things that hurt you or make you doubt yourself. And I’m not first to say these things, or even to do them.

Our society has condemned these actions of anger, envy, and assumption, especially through social media. Allowing people to not have repercussions of their actions is wrong. Imagine having someone come up to you, make a comment about your weight, walk away, and then confront you three days later saying “I’m sorry”. You reply “it’s ok” or “it’s fine”, because that is what society has trained us to do.

I’m here to say screw the cycle. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself or fight back against those comments or even guilt trip them into changing their ways. We have reached a point in society where people can act against someone and think nothing of the problems and harm it causes the other person. Then the other person is just sitting in silence, absorbing those words or actions you used against them.

Some people are very fragile with the “critique” they receive from others. They aren’t “weak” or “snowflakes” –they’re humans with feelings. Emotions have the ability to hold one together or completely tear them apart.

You’re not useless or weak. You’re completely capable of taking initiative and getting negative people out of your life.

You’re not small or ordinary. You’re a force to be reckoned with. You fight through the high winds and drifts of sand and keep moving forward, with nothing stuck in your way,

Anyone who is rude and stupid enough to slam you with negativity through a screen deserves to be blocked. But remember that you can “block” people in real life as well.

As a society, and as people with feelings, we have a choice. We have a choice of what we say to people. We can critique others with care, or we can rip them apart and watch them destroy themselves. We can build each other up, or tear each other down to nothingness.