Lesson 6: Amna Ali says ...

"...to strike, to seek and not to yield."

No matter who you are, or where.
If you are a Muslim student who faces funny jokes and jibes: Do not yield.
If you are a girl who has a hearing problem and wears hearing-aids and has colleagues laughing at you: Do not yield. YOU earn your living; nobodys' papa gives it to you. Remember that.
If you are a Bihari editor of a newspaper and people STILL snigger at your accent: Keep looking them in the eye and getting them by their balls. Do not yield.
If you think your nose looks bad and are not trying for a job on TV, remember makeup fixes everything. Do not yield.
If you want to write and people tell you only well-written blogs are read. Bullshit. It's all in an idea. And you guys should read the REAL copies that come in before appearing in newspapers. Do not yield. Put out that blog.
If your boss says you are only good for menial work (say only a shopping page and not the cover story). Do not yield. wait for a better opportunity, it will come. Keep your eyes open and your CV ready.
If you want to be a photographer and your family business is ball-bearings. Do not yield. Keep shooting unseen parts of Kashmir.
If you are a rich man's wife who teaches slum kids how to learn computers and people don't understand you. Do not yield.
If you are the news editor and your team does not like you. Do not yield.
If you are a mother living only for your child. Do not yield.

You don't have to fight or scream. Just do your job and stick your ground. And if you really want the nail to hit home, smile. This is not Gandhiri. This is psychology. A bully never likes being smiled at. It makes him look stupid. Like dogs on the street. If they come charging at you, stand your ground and ask it to stop, loudly. It will. Of course, if you see a dog that is frothing in the mouth, do NOT try and talk to it. Climb a tree. If you have a gun, shoot it. Same with bullies and people. Stand your ground. Ask them to stop. Or keep quiet and smile. And no, you cannot shoot people. No matter how tempted. Definitely not with an AK-47. :) And all the cases mentioned above in the post are REAL people, Indians all, I know. Damn. Neat show, I say!