Standing Up for Myself: Why I Won’t Be Belittled.

Currently, if someone asks me what the fastest way to get me angry is, I’d say it’s simply when someone tries to belittle me. That’s one thing I just can’t stand. You can joke with me, tease me, or even argue with me, but once it crosses into disrespect or trying to make me feel like I’m not good enough, that’s when I lose it.

There’s a particular incident that happened not too long ago that really triggered this emotion in me. We had this class presentation, and our teacher decided to divide the entire class into four groups to work on different topics. It was supposed to be a group effort, where everyone would contribute their own ideas and work together. Unfortunately for me, I ended up in the same group as this guy in my class who, for some reason, has always been annoying. And the funny thing is, I’m even older than him.

Anyway, the moment he realized I was in his group, the first thing he said—loud enough for everyone to hear—was, “Help me, juwon dey my group,” in this very mocking and dismissive tone. The way he said it made it sound like I had nothing to offer, like my presence in the group was going to bring failure or stress. He said it as if I was useless, and that instantly pissed me off. It wasn’t just what he said, but how he said it.

I’m actually not the kind of person who likes to make a scene, especially in class, but that day, I just couldn’t hold myself back. I lashed out at him immediately. I said a lot of mean things—not going to lie—and I actually didn’t even care that the teacher was still in class at that moment. I felt disrespected in front of everyone, and I wasn’t going to let it slide. During that same period, one of his friends from another group tried to jump in, probably thinking he could defend him or calm things down, but I was so angry that I ended up insulting him too. At that point, I just needed to let everything out.

Surprisingly, most people in the class actually backed me. Some people even told me later that they had been waiting for someone to finally put him in his place because he had a habit of talking down to others. That made me feel a bit better, knowing I wasn’t just overreacting. It also made me realize that sometimes, people will try to undermine you just to feel better about themselves, but it’s up to you to stand up and remind them that you’re not to be messed with.

After that day, I didn’t speak to him for a while. I needed space because the whole situation really got to me. To his credit, though, he apologized to me the next day. I could tell he realized he messed up. But honestly, that experience reminded me of how much I hate being belittled. It’s one thing I don’t joke with. I truly believe no one has the right to look down on another person like that.

Thanks for reading.

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