I know for certain that all across the country, so many people are facing this situation. 

You are a popular kid, or a stand out guy/gal that everyone looks up to. You see something going on that is morally wrong and you disagree with it. However, some of your friends are the perpetrators, and if you were to do something about the situation, they may look at you differently, most likely in a negative way. Would you do something to help the victim and risk losing your reputation, or would you just be a bystander? 

Regarding this issue, I have to be absolutely honest. There came a point in my life where I really cared about my reputation, probably because where I was raised, reputation was a really big thing. So if I was in this situation, I would probably be a bystander. 

However, I have been going through a lot of change, not just physically, but also emotionally and mentally. This change has been going on for at least three years now, and so I am starting to mature and understand a lot of the deeper things in life.
"How will my actions now affect someone in the future?"

Anyway, it was back in elementary school and two-thirds of my middle school (sixth and seventh grade) career where I actually cared about my reputation. Now, being in high school, one would say reputation is very important. But I've thrown most of that to the wind now. If there was someone being bullied, without a doubt I'd stand up for the victim, no matter what my friends say/think. How they react will just show me if they were actually legitimate friends or not.

When I say I'v thrown most of that to the wind, I mean I haven't completely given up on gaining a good reputation. I mean, basically it's just first-impressions. I do not want to slack off in class and make my teachers think I am a slacker for the next four years of high school.

Nosirree. 

I want to make good first-impressions. Everyone does. I guess it's just a part of life. I tried to make good impressions to the upper class men who play the trumpet alongside me. They have come to respect me and my trumpet playing. It wasn't through kissing-up, but rather just hard work over the summer, practicing most days and trying to get better as much as I could. 

Anyway, what are your thoughts on this matter?

Yup . I would . Mama always told me to do what is right and what is right is what I am going to do even if  I will not be remembered as what  once was or wanted to be . 

By a longshot, yes. In fact, I've already done it.

See, reputation is basically the easy way out of problems. Know everyone, get out of everything. Giving that up isn't easy, since that throws you into the hard way. But the hard way is the correct, morally right way. People get bullied, hurt, and put down. Having that happen and just watching is, well, bull. Why leave the person to be hurt and discouraged instead of picking them up and putting them on the right path? It's just common courtesy.

And, about my story, there was a kid people bothered that was Asian back in fifth grade. No, he had no mental issues. Yes, he could speak and write and do everything English. He was as normal as could be. But racial discrimination was what it was. He was Asian, he read books, and was pretty nonathletic. People teased and teased him, and he got pissed, but was too shy to say so. My friends were the main bullies. I spoke up for the kid, and shut everyone up. That kicked my popularity out of the air and into the toilet. But we became best friends, and still are. (And I gained some of my popularity back, too, and got the kid some, too! Just kidding. Though it's nice, it's not worth it. Our friendship is better, lol.)

But, yeah. Friendship > Popularity.

I am in a good standing in the small subculture I am a part of and my reputation inside it is something I take pride in. But yes, to do the right thing I would definitely risk it all if I would have to. How could I live with myself otherwise? But I doubt they would ever conflict.

Yes, and I'm 100% sure everyone that posts here would as well.  If there was someone being bullied, I'd stand up for the victim without hesitation, no matter who the bully is and no matter how much bigger he is than me. Why would I stand there and watch when I could do something about it? Bullying is disgraceful and anyone who bullies others disgusts me. I don't care if it's my best friend bullying a random person that I've never seen in my life, I'll step in and make it my business every time.

I would, without a doubt, stand up to the bully. If it was my best friend who was doing it, then that would just prove that they weren't my friend to begin with. I won't always confront the bully directly, but no matter what, I will always try to do whatever I can to help the victim. I'm not the kind of guy to just let that slide.

Everyone is going to say yes, however I guarantee that only 10% of us actually would. I do not know if I would or not, honestly. I probably would since I always try to do what is right and I don't have a reputation to protect anyway...

Honestly, I wouldn't just sit there and watch something like this happen, I would most likely do something about it. Maybe not get directly involved like fist fighting with someone else, but I would at least get the attention of an adult or something at least. There is nothing worse than feeling helpless when you just watch someone else get hurt. I mean how can you just watch that? 

Plus, I do not have that big of a reputation/ popularity to where it would bother men, my friends know the kind of person I am and they know that I would not just let something like this slide, so with that being said, I would do what is right and I think my reputation wouldn't really be affected to much. I would certainly probably get some attention or weird looks if I did it, but I don't really care to be honest. People know the kind of person I am, so this wouldn't exactly be a new thing if I intervened or did what was right in a situation like this.


I just hate the bullying type of people whose goal in life is to just ruin the lives of others. Good thread by the way, as always

Well I think the point is to develop a reputation that's built around doing the right thing in the first place, many people might not respect you for doing the right thing sometimes, but it's the people who do respect you for doing the right thing you want to be around.

You don't always get to choose your friends, but if doing the right thing makes them lose respect for you, you really don't need those kind of friends as far as I can tell.

Verbal: I don't think I would say anything unless it were someone I was friends with to be quite honest. If one of my friends were being verbally abused I would tell the bully to p*** off. 

Physical: If someone I didn't know was getting beat up, I would stop the bully and get a staff member from the school to take care of the situation. If one of my friends were being physically bullied I would sock the bully in the face. 

Sidewinder : probably. If it had to do with me then yes. but if it was someone else then I wouldn't want to meddle.

Wouldn't doing what is right actually improve your reputation?

Sure you may not be part of the "cool" or "in" crowd anymore but I think your overall reputation would actually improve rather than get worse. Plus I think that more people agree with doing what is right than not. Quite often it just takes one person to stand up and say they think something is wrong and the group will fall into line just like they fell into line when someone did something mean.

Yes I would definitely give up my reputation to do the right thing.The only time I wouldn't do the right thing is if it endangered people needlessly and even then I would try to find a way.I think that this kind of question shouldn't come up(no offense),I think that if you have trouble doing the right thing you should reconsider your values in life.            





                                                                                                                        - Real gamer out PEACE

I was sure I had posted here....

Anyway, I've been in this situation before. Many times. As I have before, I will stand up for what's right. I don't care about a reputation, except that it's for sticking with my faith and doing what's right. Lord willing, I have an honest rep.

I don't care about reputation. So what if someone hates me or views down upon me? What does it matter in the end? That person wouldn't be the first and I doubt he will be the last. But I won't stand idly by and let other people abuse, make fun of or even tease others if I can do anything to stop it. Now I'm not saying I'm going to go in fists swinging or anything to stop it. (Unless I absolutely had to.) If any of you know anything about Psychology you would know how easy it is to manipulate other people to act how you want them to act.

As for my reputation I don't care how people look at me, I am who I am and that won't change. People have given me a hard time for years, do you think I'm going to let that stop me from doing the right thing? No, I'm someone who strongly believes on doing the right thing and I won't let anyone tell me to do otherwise. A prime example is the fact that I openly admit to being a fan of the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. They may respect me for it or they may shun me, it doesn't matter, I'm still the same person in the end and nothing can change that.

So yes, I would give up my reputation in a heart beat to do the right thing, I don't care how they see me for it as long as I know it's the right thing.