Just my perspective: Cruel, heartless people exist. They deliberately harm others, sometimes with strength and weapons, sometimes with words. The former are harmful to the body, the latter to the spirit. As the body and spirit are “connected,” harm to one frequently entails harm to the other.

Asking why you let the cruel “get to” you is a bit like asking, “Why did I let that robber’s fired shot enter my abdomen?”

The cruel like to torment. They delight in manipulating others’ thoughts, leading their victims to believe they are responsible for or deserve their suffering.

Naturefreak, you face depression within, and a heartless one without. Is there any way to reduce this to a one-front war?