Life is one giant learning process. From adolescence to adulthood, there will always be trials along the way that can either push us forward or hinder us. These trials, especially in our early stages of adulthood, can come in the form of bullies. "Bully" may seem like a juvenile term, yet it reaches far beyond the walls of grade school. Bullies exist in every path of life, and adult bullies can be, by far, the worst kind of bullies to ever run into. Making your workplace miserable, your friend group not so tight knit, and your social gatherings uncomfortable; adult bullies will do whatever they can to beat down others in order to feel better about themselves.

Typically, those who were bullies in childhood will grow to continue their streak of torture into adulthood. Adult bullies are the coworkers that ensure your work day is difficult, the "friend" that starts a dirty rumor about you, and the jerk at the bar that makes fun of your drink choice. These people are relentless, and difficult to deal with in adulthood.

The difference between bullying in childhood and adulthood is that as a child, you can go to a parent of a principle to end the abuse. In adulthood, you’re expected to man up, thicken your skin, and ignore the harsh words and comments. However, there’s a point in which a line is crossed, and ignoring bullies can no longer be done, so what happens next?

Adult bullies can make every day seem like a trial. If one is in a sensitive position, these attackers have the ability to ruin an experience, or even a life. Some people do not have the power to stand up for themselves, and bullies usually know exactly who these people are. Bullies don’t care about what may be going on in someone’s life -- they don’t care about whether or not you’re on the verge of a breakdown -- they simply don’t care. If they can make you feel exactly how they feel, then they’ve done their job; if they can show their insecurities through hurting you, then, in their mind, they’ve won.

As hard as it may be, standing up and facing an attacker is the best way to end abuse. However, instead of creating a scene, confront those who are hurting you, like the adult that you are. A one-on-one conversation is the best way to truly tell someone how you're feeling and force the bully to face exactly what they're avoiding; exposure of their actions. It's scary and it can be hard, but the results are typically positive, especially if you hold your ground and show your attacker that you will no longer be a victim of their games.

Bullying is not just something that happens in the school yard. It is a real life problem that stretches throughout adulthood, and most people choose to ignore it. No one deserves to be ostracized or picked on. That quiet girl in class or the not-so-communicative coworker may be going through something extremely difficult, and harmful words or comments may just push them over the edge.

To the adult bullies: what are you achieving? What good will come out of targeting and hurting someone who doesn’t deserve it? You may feel power when people get behind you and build more and more rumors about your victim, but have you ever taken the time to consider the life of the person that you’re hurting? You’re an adult now. Harsh words and negative actions should be beyond you. You should be building up the people that you’re beating down, because life is already difficult without your remarks.

One comment can be enough to send someone into a free fall of depression. Words are powerful, and actions are even more powerful. Body language, eye contact, communication -- all of it -- can be combined to either express love or hate; support or attack. Every day, each person has the choice to make their actions reflect something good or something wicked. That choice can only be made by you, so which will you choose?