'You have to meet it with love’: Benedict Cumberbatch gives advice to kids on bullying

The Sherlock actor opened up about how “hard” it can be
Safeeyah Kazi17 April 2018
The Weekender

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Benedict Cumberbatch has given advice on bullying, admitting it’s a “really difficult subject.”

The Doctor Strange actor told 14-year-old presenter Sophia Grace how important it is to understand that bullying is “not about you.”

In a new interview, Cumberbatch said: “This is a really really difficult subject. As hard as it may seem, you have to meet it with love.

“You have to try and empathise with behaviour and not hate yourself but understand why people often want to damage other people, it’s because they’re damaged themselves.”

The 41-year-old added: “If you could just turn that mirror around a little bit on them than that could quell it slightly.

“To stand on your own two feet, to stand unaffected by bullies, they don’t really know the real you, they want to get at something to feel better about themselves.

“The strongest advice is to not take it personally because it’s not really about you."

Throughout the interview the actor was required to give advice to teenagers on a variety of topics, he was also quizzed on how to battle a fear of flying.

Difficult: The Avengers actor told how bullying can be hard 
Dave Benett

He joked with the young singer about how she “can’t drink alcohol that’s the problem.”

Cumberbatch added: “Logic doesn't help much with fear because fear is an emotion that transcends logic. It’s an emotional response.

“I think you have to meet it head on otherwise it will fester and get bigger. One of the things you can do when you get older is to learn how to fly apparently because it’s the feeling of being out of control.

“I think about the logic and how unlikely it is, you’re more likely to die crossing the road statistically speaking.”

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