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Classic Bullying Traits:
Threats

One of a bully's most powerful tools is to threaten others. It may be a thinly disguised threat, or an outright promise to punish you severely if you defy his commands.

If he can't convince you to go along willingly, he will force you to comply with his desires. Otherwise, he must punish you.

A bully is a master of emotional blackmail. He will follow through with his threats out of mean-spirited retaliation. It isn't enough for him to win; you must lose as well.

A bully knows how to punish you, or even make your life a living hell. By threatening the worst, he tries to control you. By punishing you, he feels pleasure in exercising power over someone else.

Typical threats
- Cutting your pay (or plateau when everyone else gets raises)

- Reducing your role in his division

- Ending your relationship with him

- Exiling you from the rest of his division

- Transfering you to an inferior position outside of his division

- Terminating you from the company

- Putting you on probation (while he builds a case for your termination)

- Making your life difficult

- Opposing your future promotion

- Giving you a bad evaluation

- Making sure others will hear about your poor performance

- Having you fired if you try to transfer out of his division

- Destroying your reputation

- Destroying your career

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