Was I just as guilty as my friends?

[Anonymous]

I'm thinking about this event and not sure if I was just as guilty. During our mid teen years, my two female friends used to make this guy carry their stuff, got him to perform a ridiculous dance in front of a couple peers and really believe everything they told him. I knew they were using him though (even saw them touching him sometimes) and did nothing.

I didn't do anything what they did. However, I used to laugh whenever he danced awful and believed them. Yet, I'm wondering if just laughing at someone's possible misery was still bad enough.

It's like a phase where you feel the need to fit in and that if you don't join in or at least laugh (I didn't join in; I only laughed) then you're seen as an outcast and possibly risk getting obstracized. Do you think I was as guilty as my friends though?

Yes

No

[Anonymous]

You're guilty. You enabled them and didn't defend him.

[Asker]

Ok. Yeah I should've done something about it.
I've requested him on FB recently and he accepted it. We chatted for a bit but I didn't mention the topic at all and neither did he. I guess he has moved on.

[Opinion Owner]

I wouldn't hold it against you either. You were a kid. You should bring it up and apologize, though.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you most certainly were guilty because you laughed at that poor kid.

[Asker]

Yeah he saw me laughing a few times. HS was a weird moment. Doing the right thing and calling out my friends would've been getting obstracized myself. I was impressed when he accepted my FB friend request. We talked about present-day topics. I didn't tell him about the HS incident. Looks like he has moved on from it I guess.

[Opinion Owner]

Well that’s good.