Appropriate response to low-level mocking

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I am going through this kind of low-level mocking on a daily basis. Whenever this happens i just stare at them, smile, and tell them that i am impressed by their wits. The uncomfortable feeling they experience that is caused by me staring at them is usually enough to make them stop. It doesn't work all the time, but at least they will temporarily stop doing this because of being confused.

So i basically use one of my "flaws" as a tool against bullies.

What i still cannot handle is them laughing at me for no apparent reason. Mostly it is due to me acting weirdly in social situations or saying things in a very monotone voice that makes me sound "like a robot". I try to mask it by doing some sort of comedy of the situation. Of course i don't wanna be seen as a joker in this situation, but since they laugh anyway it is best to keep doing that than to feel aggravated by them.

I am grateful for any other solutions that might help.

I don't know how to handle that neither.
Once I was at the policestation to make a complaint, I got ridiculed and they let in another can of policeofficers to take a good laugh. Some days later buying a newspaper, there was a short guy next to me who was quite nervous, I took a look, it was that policeofficer who first made fun of me, ow he had shrunk a lot!

Falloy

I can't address your problem as I don't know how to deal with situations like this. I too am a middle aged man that is occasionally the subject of derisive comments, mocking or laughter. I have taken to avoiding interacting with others as much as possible, but don't suggest this as a solution.

I just wanted to say that I stand beside you and wish I could be more support. I wish I could say "I've go your back". Instead, all I can say is "that you are not alone".

I give them a cold stare like "excuse me?" looking down my nose at them. Then I just give a very, very light chuckle and smile and shake my head and turn away. I've made it clear that I know what they are doing and I'm laughing at them and I don't care. If they choose to engage me after that then all bets are off. They will either carry on with their small snide s**t and know that I know and I don't care so it won't matter or they will escalate and I'll put them in their place fast.

Also if they are teenagers or 20somethings I "mom" them. I go up to them and ask what that have to say. Then I give them a lecture I know they will laugh about later but they don't dare laugh at me while I'm doing it because of the mom tone and the fact that I'll easily find out their names in this town and call their parents. I've done that and will in a heartbeat and would welcome it if someone did that if my kid acted that way. Sure they will laugh about it later but they won't say a word when I'm talking to them.

Thats how I handle it.

I've often noticed that it can be strangely difficult for one male to go into battle against a group of females.

I really don't see this incident as being a big deal. Young girls in groups are often mean and excluding. I also seem to either evoke amusement or disdain in others. So what, big deal. If people look at me I look at them. If a response is called for, I'll respond, but to even consider violence in this situation is an over reaction.

I completely agree, though to be fair, boys can be absolute skunks too.


I think just a little bit of violence can work wonders, though one has to be extremely careful. A group of unruly kids sat in front of me on the bus, and it soon seemed pretty clear that they were trying to show the rest of the passengers that they could do exactly what they liked. You know the type? They didn't explicitly mock anybody, but they wouldn't get out of people's way, and made sudden movements and piercingly loud noises right next to people, implicitly taking the mickey. They were sitting in front of me. I whacked the ringleader round the back of the head with one of my leather gloves and told him to settle down and shut the f*** up (or words to that effect).

I'd taken quite a risk, but it turned out very well. The whole pack of them instantly quietened down and sniggered at the one I'd struck. They didn't cause any more trouble. There were no CCTV cameras on buses in those days. Apart from the risk of my method backfiring on me, I see nothing wrong with it. What I'd really like for such problems in the future is a trained wasp.

Haha, sounds like you did the right thing in the situation.

I think the best response would be to genuinely be able to ignore it, to treat it like a minor annoyance like a barking dog or crying baby. To really believe that the person doing the mocking is immature and can't help what they're doing - any more than the dog or the baby can.

I absolutely can't do this though.I think this is because some part of my brain agrees that they are right. I've been told from an early age that I am funny-looking and weird and wrong in all of my views and interests.

How can I get rid of this voice though? How can I build my self esteem? I think I am falling into quite serious clinical depression and this is only making most of the people around me (my employer and my mum) angry. How can I get my groove back?