Marketa Barborikova Linden Windsor
Amarican Ingenious people have had huge respect for the wolves, but the known memetic legend about two wolves inside us – good and bad – is often assigned to various indigenous American peoples rather than the Cherokees. Folklorists note that the story does not appear in traditional Cherokee folklore; modern versions trace back to late 20th-century motivational and religious writings but it does not matter.
The legend is the amazing example how people change under bad or good influence, how we battle inside of us. . An elder tells their grandchild that two wolves—one good and one evil—are constantly fighting inside every person. When the child asks which wolf wins, the elder replies, “The one you feed”. It is very relatable tale. Our character, thoughts, and actions prevail based on which of these inner forces we choose to nourish and focus our energy on each day.
The story of the two wolves aligns closely with modern world and the children, particularly in cognitive behavioral science and conflict resolution. When applied to school bullying, it provides a powerful framework for understanding both the bully’s actions and the victim’s response.
There have been two serious studies and the experiements about mob and herd community behaviour and the shifting pattern between good and bad wolf inside of us. Both famously proved that “nice,” ordinary people will join a mob to target a victim under the right situational conditions.
The most significant experiement was conducted by psychologist Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University, called The Stanford Prison Experiment. He took ordinary, healthy college students with no history of aggression and randomly assigned them to play “guards” or “prisoners” in a mock prison built in a basement. Anybody knows how to play bad and good cop, but real life is a different matter, not just a game. The experiment has been one of the most distinctive studies so far, undertaken ages ago in 1970s, highlightning the issues of abuse of power, misconduct and manipulation. Even though the guards were “nice” people in their normal lives, they rapidly devolved into a cruel mob. They ganged up to emotionally abuse, troll, and target specific prisoners, forcing them into humiliating acts. The study grew so abusive it had to be shut down after just 6 days.
The rise of the internet and cyberspace has changed the landcape and the world beyond belief, in good and bad. Like the fire or the massmedia, or recently AI – a good servant, a bad master. The Standford University has parcipitated in another important study, alongside Cornell University in 2017, with the landmark study “Anyone Can Become a Troll”. The study has run an experiment measuring online trolling and people joining a digital mob to blame someone, with researchers inserting the regular participants into an online forum environment. The study proved that internet trolls are made by the environment, not just born sociopaths. When normal, nice participants were put in a bad mood (by being given a frustratingly hard test) and then entered a comment section where they saw other people already trolling a target, they quickly joined the mob. Seeing a targeted person being blamed served as a “bad example” that caused regular people to start trolling too.
Both experiments demonstrated the psychological concept of situational variables. They proved that group cruelty, mobbing, and bullying are rarely just caused by a few “bad apples.” Instead, if you put a normal person into an environment with a negative crowd context, a bad mood, and a targeted victim, their “dark wolf” will take over and they will join the mob. Our own battles are up to us, the bullying and visibly concerning harrassment etc should be whistleblowed and tackled asap by the bystanders and assigned safeguardians or the authorities or the public.
APPLICATION TO SCHOOL BULLYING
Although I have never been bullied as the child (thanks God) and I have gained my the first crazy trolls in my 20s, unfortunately on anonymous internet forums, called with visibly disturbing names such as Puckbunny Parlor, it is important to understand the reasoning and the dynamics behind the bullies and the bullying in brief summary., using the famous story about the wolves. I would add one more cheerful quote.
SEND ME TO THE WOLVES.
I RETURN AS THE LEADER OF THE PACK.
1. Understanding the Bully
- Feeding the Wrong Wolf: Bullies often feed their own dark wolf—acting out of insecurity, jealousy, anger, or a desire for control.
- Cyclical Reinforcement: When a bully receives attention or power from their actions, the environment “feeds” their negative behavior, making them repeat it.
2. Empowering the Victim
- Controlling the Reaction: Victims cannot control the bully, but they can control which wolf they feed internally—choosing self-worth over internalising the bully’s cruel words. It does not stop the bullying completely, but it changes the angle and the groundwork for the tragetted victim – building much needed self esteem to be knocked down and stand up for yourself.
- Breaking the Cycle: Responding with calculated calm or seeking help starves the bully of the reaction (the “food”) they are looking for. It is often recommended to stay away from the risk linked with the ,bonker’.
3. The Role of Bystanders
- Starving the Behavior: Bystanders feed the dark wolf when they laugh, watch, or share bullying videos.
- Feeding the Light Wolf: Bystanders starve the bullying behavior and support the victim when they speak up, report the incident, or offer comfort. It is the most important part how educate and not to tolerate it.
