Do Bullies Live Successful Lives?

I’ve been thinking about bullies and why they behave the way they do. It seems like they often hide behind groups and try to gain strength from the numbers around them. Why do they act so cowardly, always avoiding confrontation one-on-one? Do they ever actually live successful lives, or is their behavior a sign of their own insecurities and inability to face challenges head-on?

I remember standing up against one of my bullies at vocational college in 2023. One day, he gave me this evil smirk when nobody else was around, like he thought he had the upper hand. I didn’t back down, though. I calmly told him he should stop, and I could see how frustrated it made him. After the confrontation, his classmates—who were friendly to me—gave me a box, which felt like a nice gesture. But the bully also gave me a box, and it was definitely not a friendly gesture. I think bullies rely on groups and don’t want to be seen as bad people, which is why they act the way they do. After that, I told him I didn’t want to see him again. Has anyone else experienced something like this?