Bullying. Insults. You see these things everywhere and more often than anybody should have to. Words hurt. You never know what the victim has been through or how they will react to what comes out of your mouth. Some people are depressed. Some people are suicidal. One word can worsen their life, or even end their life. I say that we should all try to be nicer. Give everybody compliments instead of insults. This is the best way to make somebody's day and to hopefully make their life a tad bit better.
Today I have decided to interview Banjomann. He has transitioned from being a mean, cold spirit to a positive and inspiring individual. He realized that the insults he gave weren't appropriate and that being a kind person would help him in the long run. I think it is truly amazing that Banjomann has been able to change for the good after years of being a mean guy. Hopefully Banjomann can inspire all of you to be just like him.
Jts2000: What was it that made you want to turn nicer?
Banjomann: Well Jake the Snake, thanks for having me. Before I can answer that question, let's go back in time a little man. Let's go back to a little over a year ago. BanjoMann, the bane of every person on Whyville's existence. The cult of personality. If there was a controversy in Whyville, my name was probably associated with it. BanjoMania was in full swing. I wanted to be the center of all negative attention, I wanted infamy.
But, unfortunately, I can't say I owe all the success of my character at the time to myself. If anybody keeps up to date with pro wrestling or the WWE, then you should be familiar with CM Punk and his character from mid to late 2012 to early 2013. I wanted to be that. Disrespect anybody, and demand respect from everybody. Whyville was my WWE, the keyboard was my microphone, and everything I said was a pipebomb. I wanted everyone to hate me, and if they didn't, then I would make them.
So then I did a few "I quit!" fiascoes, but by that time nobody cared about BanjoMann anymore, I was just another spoke in wheel, and I knew it. After a few more months of trying to recapture the fire that once surrounded my name, I decided to ask, one of my now best friends, "Why doesn't anybody like me?" Well, without going into detail, the response was basically because I was a bully. I thought to myself, "Me? A bully? No, I'm just a character, I'm not really a bully in real life."
So after more discussions and more thought about it, I realized, I was a bully. It doesn't matter if you're just "playing a character" it can hurt other people, and I didn't even realize it.
So, with help of my friend, I made the decision to change. Now here we are today, with me as a nice guy. Never thought you'd see the day huh?
Jts2000: Does it feel good to be a nice guy instead of a mean one?
Banjomann: It definitely feels much better to be good than to be bad. As you might be able to tell from the above question, I was pretty dedicated to being a bad guy, so it's less stressful, I don't have to worry about being banned from Whyville every time I log on. It's just a lot easier being nice, man. Less "BanjoMann," more of myself.
Jts2000: Did anybody help you during your transition from mean man to nice guy?
Banjomann: Totally, man. If I made it seem like it was all my decision and it was easy and that, well I apologize, because it wasn't. If it wasn't for this person, I would probably still be playing a bad guy, or banned from Whyville. I couldn't have done it without the help of my now BFF, Delp. I can't thank her enough, man. She taught me how to be nice while becoming really great friends along the way.
So thanks, not only to Delp, but to everyone who has supported me and my new, nice self. It really makes me feel good and want to become an even better person, man.
Jts2000: Would you recommend that other mean people try to be nice?
Banjomann: Of course man! Like I said earlier, man, it's just a whole easier, and a whole lot less stressful being nice. If you think it feels good to just, write best "bad guy thing" you can, it gets a reaction from everybody, then wait until you're nice help someone, even the slightest. The difference is night and day, man.
Jts2000: What advice would you have for people who want to try being nice?
Banjomann: Well, I guess the best advice I could give them is to just try it out, man. I think you'll realize that it just feels better to be nice.
I believe that everybody can change, man, but whether or not they do, well, that's up to them. Some people will just be mean regardless, and those are the kind of people who we shouldn't let get to us, man. And I know that can be hard, man, but that's just the way the wind blows, you know?
So, yeah, after reading this, I hope we can just be all around better people. Let's strive to be nicer people everyday, let's all be thankful for one another and try to help each other out. When we do help each other, let's let them know how thankful we are for them, maybe ask them how their day is going and how are they feeling.
Anyways, I'm by no means a saint, and I understand that, and I apologize if I've ever said anything to hurt you, but I've been trying my best to be a better person everyday, and I think we should all try to be better people, not on Whyville, but in life in general.
Thank you Banjomann for the wonderful advice and for your story. You are an inspiration to us all and I am amazed by your change. So, why don't we all begin to be like Banjomann? The world would certainly be a much better place. What's stopping us? Is it peer pressure? Is it a cold heart? No matter the obstacle, we should all strive to be kinder. We should be there for each other and not judge anybody. We should be forgiving and spread love and joy instead of hatred and sadness.
Remember, if you ever need someone to talk about your feelings with, feel free to ymail Banjomann.
