The furore over allegations that Gordon Brown had bullied his staff has generated a lot of column inches in the press, including many letters from members of the public. The general tenor has been one of condemnation of bullying, but it has been worrying that some people seem to have little or no understanding of what is involved or how devastating it can be to people's lives. I was particularly concerned by one letter to the Guardian newspaper that claimed that people complaining about being bullied should be sacked for being wimps. Sadly, from conversations I have been involved with over the years, this sort of attutude is not uncommon in some quarters. It suggests a very macho approach to the workplace: if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I wonder how many people would be able to sustain that sort of attitude if they were able to see first hand what damage bullying can do to people.