The world is tough and mean. In a sense it is actually cutthroat, everybody is trying to reach the top or become the best and many will do anything in their power to overcome obstacles in their way, even if those obstacles are fellow people.

To the core it really is survival of the fittest, not much will happen in your world if you are timid and unprepared. To get to your desired destination you don’t have to necessarily crush, intimidate or bully those in your way. 

For example in the market place, it is usually the youth at the bottom of the food chain, some are fresh out of high school, some have just completed their tertiary education, either way, it’s a freshly adulated person entering the working environment.
Lots of people root for the youth to succeed, they want them to do well and make a worthwhile contribution to society. The problem arises when the youth happens to be in your field and actually succeeding, then the picture changes. They become competition and a threat to an established order, then some people stop rooting for them. 

Naturally, when they stop cheering and rooting, they start wanting to get them out of the way, bullying and intimidation become the order of the day. Albeit very subtly. 

To some, the mere presence and growth of the youth causes discomfort among the older members of society. You will see it in politics, your work environment, school and even within your own family.
Sometimes it’s the youth themselves that turn on each other, it’s them that bully and harass others for stupid reasons might I add. Obviously it’s not a good thing and personally, I think some of the schools and organisations do a great job addressing the issue.

It’s a free market and competition is and should strongly be encouraged, but fair competition. Competition has to be fair and where possible, even equal. After all, we all want the same outcome to some degree and frankly, it would just be better for everyone involved if we all got along and worked together in harmony.  

Some things are not so apparent, like an abusive relationship to an outsider, but they happen and are among us, just like the subtle intimidation and bullying of the youth.

Then again people are who they are and will do anything that they can get away with, stay strong and stay prepared for anything from your fellow humans.  

* Olavi Popyeinawa has a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is currently studying law, LLB at the University of Namibia. He writes on youth matters. Find him on Instagram: niceguy_olavi, Facebook: Olavi Longfellow and Twitter: @ OlaviPopyeinawa