Do Not Repay evil for evil

It’s not worth it and here’s why.

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May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house. ― George Carlin.

Do not repay evil for evil, and here’s why:

I read a story recently about how in ancient times when people wanted to kill a bear, they would hang a heavy log over a bowl of honey.

The bear would then push the log to eat the honey. In doing so, the log would swing back to hit the bear, each time the bear pushed the log until it eventually killed the bear.

It’s a story I always try to keep in mind, especially when someone comes at me with negativity or tries to get under my skin.

I used to snap back and lose my temper, but that only made things worse.

That’s when I realized how harmful it is to meet anger with more anger—to repay evil for evil—because all it does is leave everything in ashes.

It is wiser to bear a single injury in silence than to provoke a thousand by flying into a rage. —Read.go

Every time you let yourself get pulled into an argument, a little bit of your peace slips away from you.

Arguing just to prove a point, or calling out someone else’s flaws—when we’ve got plenty of our own—is usually not worth our time, and the energy.

As Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius wisely said, “”You don’t have to have an opinion.“

We’re not here to judge people, we just need to accept them for who they are—with flaws and all.

Goethe put it perfectly: “When we treat people as they deserve, we make them worse. But when we treat them as if they were what they could be, we help them become better.”

There’s also a powerful lesson in the story of Malcolm X entered prison as Malcolm Little—a street hustler—and came out a transformed man, ready to fight for justice and equality.

Did he suffer while locked away?

Absolutely.

The same goes for Nelson Mandela who spent 27 years behind bars for something he didn’t do. And yet, both of them chose to turn their pain into purpose.

…

And so It’s really up to us.

An event itself is objective.

How you describe it, whether it was unfair, or that they did it on purpose— that’s on you.

Do not repay evil for evil because returning evil for evil is a descending spiral waiting to manifest.

Civil rights leader and activist Martin Luther King, Jr. understood this truth deeply when he said, “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral. Returning violence for violence only multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.”

So, start by forgiving yourself for being too hard on yourself over those years, and other people. Then, you want to forgive the person, the miscommunication, or the situation that didn’t go as planned.

As author Ryan Holiday says, “This is not the environment you were made for—to be provoked.”

There’s an old saying that says, “When we give evil nothing to oppose, it will disappear its own.”

Now is not the time to get worked up about a given situation. 

Instead, you want to respond with kindness toward evildoers, because the opposite rarely works.

“Darkness,” says MLK, “cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Following MLK’s advice can help us destroy in an evil person the pleasure he/she derives from evil. By realizing that, you’ll tilt in favor of compassion, rather than rage or whatever other negative emotions.

“When I despair,” expressed Mahatma Gandhi, “I remember that all through history; the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it—always.” So why bother getting mad at causes and forces beyond your control?

So whenever you try to get into an argument with someone, realize a little of life leaves your body every time you get upset.

To become a part of this nonviolent movement, do not repay evil for evil. Instead, try the following suggestions:

• Catch yourself before reacting to violence of any kind with more violence. Pledge to be an instrument of peace as all our spiritual teachers have encouraged us to be.
• Work on yourself each day to bring a more peaceful stance into your life. 
• Take time to meditate, practice yoga, read, go on a walk before you respond to that nasty comment, play with children and animals, or do anything that brings you joy, peace, and fulfillment.

Affirmation for the day:

I will honor everyone’s way of living today. I will meditate on my inner child’s needs today. I will be loving and attentive toward my inner child and other people.

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Photo credit: Bear Photo by Janko Ferlic

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