Hot Thoughts and Cold Thoughts

Bully Behavior Curriculum Page 8

Author: Lynne Namka, Ed. D

Hot Thoughts are the things that we say both internally and out loud to keep us angry. They turn up the heat inside. Hot Thoughts encourage us to continue to be upset so that we might be tempted to do Ruff Tuff Bully Behavior.

Hot Thoughts:

• She’s mean.
• I hate him.
• He’s a jerk!
• He did that on purpose.
• She doesn’t care about me.

Hot Thoughts Turn Up the Heat Inside

• Name calling or giving the person a negative label. “You jerk.” “You are crazy.”
• Making judgments and “should” statements that lead to a sense of injustice. “He should not act that way. If he does, I have the right to get angry.”
• Blaming others instead of looking at one’s own part in what went wrong.
• Assuming that the other person deliberately wanted to harm you. “She did that on purpose.”
• Making mountains out of mole hills. Blowing things out of proportion.
• Making rigid judgments that certain people “deserve” to be punished.
• Believing that you have the right to hurt others because you are better than they are.
• Getting upset and wanting to hurt others who are different or weak.