Lowering your own bar means getting yourself used to resisting the pressure to always be right and good when it comes to following rules and your own performance. Studies show those who are bullied are more likely to be anxious. Anxious people tend to focus on following rules because they care about getting things right. This tendency can also show up as perfectionism. Bullies, on the other hand, are the opposite: They are much more comfortable with breaking rules and wrongdoing. This allows them to exploit a form of bully food we haven't talked much about, and that's predictability. Being predictable gives the bully an advantage because they can count on what you will do. They know you'll follow all the rules. They know you'll try to be perfect. There's nothing more predicable than always doing what everyone expects you to do, which is the first ...