Derek Hough Shares Philosophy On Bullies: ‘Power Over Others Is Weakness In Disguise’

Derek Hough is getting personal in his new book, “Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion.”

In the book, the choreographer and “Dancing with the Stars” pro revealed he was once strung up by bullies when he was just 6-years old.

On Monday, Access Hollywood Live guest co-host Samantha Harris asked Derek about the bullying he wrote about facing, and how he became such a confident adult.

“For me, the essence of the book that I wanted to try and capture was a phrase that I heard that I absolutely love and it’s, ‘What if the world wasn’t happening to you, but is happening for you.’ And I look at those experiences and reflect on them and thinking like, ‘What could I have learned from that?'” Derek said. “I almost have more compassion for the guys and why they felt like they had to overpower somebody. And also, not just young kids, but adults as well — why does somebody feel like they have to overpower somebody and bully them and put them down?”

Derek explained his philosophy on what bullying really means.

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“Power over others is weakness in disguise. Something’s going on,” he said. “They’re not really happy with themselves, because if you’re truly like, happy with who you are, then you’re only gonna give love, you’re only gonna just share that and give it out,” he said.

Derek’s new book also includes details about his life in London as a youngster with sister, Julianne Hough. When Access Hollywood Live’s Kit Hoover asked about the siblings’ closeness, Derek said it is due to a variety of things, including being together so far from home.

“I write about it in the book and talking about our adventures in London and you know, moving there at a young age. I had to really take care of her and, you know, be her big brother and I think we became not just siblings, but kind of partners and a team, and that just kind of carried on through,” Derek said. “And we’re very likeminded and [have] sort of [the same] philosophy and things like that.”

— Jolie Lash