Vice President of Investor Relations, West Pharmaceutical Services
Search every verified John Sweeney interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2016 TEDxYouth talk, John Sweeney, Vice President of Investor Relations at West Pharmaceutical and founder of the "Suspender Coffees" social movement, spoke about his experiences with bullying. Sweeney stated that he was bullied by teachers and other children during his school years, describing an incident where a teacher punched him in the back and another where students held his hands while one karate-chopped his throat, which he said nearly killed him. He said that being bullied "stays with you forever" and that he thinks about it every day. Sweeney advocated for replacing anti-bullying programs with a "kindness curriculum" in schools, workplaces, and homes. He argued that "bullies aren't born — they're raised," attributing bullying behavior to factors such as a strained home life or abuse. Sweeney cited the deaths of several young people by suicide after bullying and said that "kindness... can change lives and even save a life." He described himself as the founder and Chief Kindness Officer of a global social movement called "Suspender Coffees."
As humans, we spend our lives chasing perfection, when in actual fact, perfection is being comfortable in our own skin and being happy with exactly who we are. The damage that’s being done through bullying is irreversible. It’s costing us lives and people’s sanity throughout the world, and it needs to stop now. Instead of creating anti-bullying programs, let’s remove the negativity and start focusing on a kindness curriculum: kindness in schools, kindness in the workplace, kindness at home, kindness to ourselves, and in every walk of life. John Sweeney is a social entrepreneur and kindne…
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