Do you think the biggest bullies are the biggest cowards?

...I dislike the word weak spineless coward as well and two wrongs never make a right, and you found your self doing exactly what you say he tried to do to you and/or others......I found that the constant predominant issue among the majority of those that bully, is often they are living with a great deal of inner pain...Bullying is very often a way to protect their self from ever being victimized again, which of course only works for so long anyway..They have not yet found an appropriate way to deal with their pain and talking about their feelings is seen as a sign of weakness, often ped down from one or both parents or a significant other....Not to justify their behaviours in any way, because they should always be help accountable, but there is always an explanation behind behaviours that are used to keep others away from us..If it is only words that a bully uses, which is not very often the case, then it is our choice to either address it in a respectful manner or to just walk away, and not allow what others say get to us, which is not just a bully's technique, but that of a great many people we learn to walk away from as we mature. He obviously got to you and you reacted, which is what some people look for in the first place...Standing up to a bully is always the right action to take, which should not be done alone, but in putting them down, or demeaning them instead of using words that would leave ones self respect in tact, one has just fuelled a continuing fire that is already out of control.. In using words like, a pest, insecure, mean, malicious, ugly, not smart, attention seeker, spineless coward, and toxic, you have also described many people who are not bullies, but people in need of counselling.....Being toxic to your "nice group" and in obviously not being welcomed by your group, is probably what set him off in the first place..I am quite sure he has heard these words more times than enough times and possibly the reason he feels as he does and trys to cover up the rejection and hurt by also using the same words you have...Maybe somewhere down the line you both will find some middle ground where in being cordial and respectful to each other could benefit both of you..