Breeding Victims?

So on the subject of bullying, shall we look at it upside down?  Why don't we talk about preventing victim-hood?  Do we coach our kids how to avoid being a victim?  If you are a parent, are you influencing your kids toward victim-hood?  Do you call out liars on a regular basis?  Do you react to bad behavior by family members and strangers alike?  Do you react calmly, firmly, and with class?  Are you honest in your assessment of situations? 

That's a lot of questions, but they lead you to look at yourself and assess your stance.  Avoiding victim-hood is not painless, not because bullies make it that way, but because life is that way.  Nothing worthwhile is effortless, and often pain comes hand in hand with effort.  It's simple physics, the way the world, our bodies, and matter works.  Eating can be an effort, and talking, shopping, learning, mowing the lawn, driving, anything.  Sometimes things get easier and less painful the longer we do them, like sit-ups or giving a speech.  Sometimes they don't - standing in front of the moving bus is going to hurt every time (if you get more than one shot!). 

Don't encourage kids to be doormats, and don't encourage them to 'do unto others before they do unto you.'  There is plenty of ground in the middle there, and no need to breed victims.