What constitutes cruelty. To me, cruelty is withholding something an individual requires for good living or harming someone in grave ways. No one likes to be treated with cruelty and all of us have to work to avoid being cruel for any reason at any time.
Cruelty that is emotional abuse can be felt in the body with almost as much, if not more, physical and mental pain as physical abuse. Cruelty eats away at us and leaves us lonesome, sad, worried, and worse.
How does one defend themselves against cruelty? As much as possible, we cannot tolerate cruel behavior, and set limits with those who are cruel to us. Further we have to distance ourselves as much as possible from sources of cruelty--no one deserves that, yet that can be easier said than done. Some who are cruel are not purposefully cruel, but instead acting as they have been taught or acting out themselves due to cruel or abusive treatment.
It's good to get underneath the cruelty, to understand it, and if possible have empathy for those who behave cruelly. That empathy, however, doesn't mean you should subject yourself to the cruelty, but instead distance yourself if possible, and certainly get help as to how to deal with it. Onward.