I figured nobody would actually come out and say it, so here I am ripping off the Band-Aid once and for all. The truth is, girls who go out of their way to be mean to others are insecure about themselves; it’s that simple. Don’t get me wrong, everybody has insecurities, but the mean girls are the ones who will let their insecurities take over their character.

Ever since elementary school, I’ve dealt with mean girls. I never would’ve thought that their attitudes were caused by their own personal issues, as their unhappiness was always blamed on me. I was constantly battling with myself, worrying about what I did wrong, why they hated me, and what I needed to do to make them happy again. I always put these girls on a pedestal, as if they were better than me, or it was my job to make them happy. It wasn’t until recently that I came to the realization that young women who put down, harass, and/or bully other females only have a fight to pick with themselves. I will never understand why a girl, who has never gone out of her way to get to know me, has had so many negative things to say about me (and not even to my face). I’ve learned that by continuing to be myself I become too strong to be brought down. So, to the girls who continue to put up with the mean girls, don’t. Realize that mean people don’t grow out of their insecurities and that being yourself, being kind, and rising above the negativity will always lead you down the right path.

If anything, I have these girls to thank for giving me the opportunity to see myself from a different perspective and realize that I don’t need to change who I am to make someone else happy. I hope that someday these young women find the courage to accept their insecurities and learn that tearing other girls apart in hopes of feeling secure with themselves will no longer serve a purpose in their life.