Do Not Repay evil for evil

It’s not worth it and here’s why.

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 then swing back to hit the bear, each time the bear pushes the log, to a point where it eventually kills the bear.

It’s a story that I always try to keep in mind every time I encounter a stroll online, doing their best to tear me apart.
I’d fired back but it did was making the flames hotter. And that’s when I realized how destructive anger can get when we try to repay evil for evil.

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

Whenever you try to get into an argument with someone, realize a little of life leaves your body every time we get upset. It’s just not worth it to partake in meaningless arguments. So my advice, Leave other people to their fault. Especially when we have so many of our own.

As Marcus Aurelius would say, you don’t have to have an opinion.

You’re not here to judge them—only to accept them.

The polymath and writer, Wolfgang Von Goethe also reminds us that, “When we treat our neighbors as they deserve to be treated, we make them even worse. But when we treat them as if they were who we wish they were, we improve them.

There’s a fascinating story about Malcolm X (then Malcolm Little) who went into prison as a criminal, to then transformed himself into the man who would help in the struggle for civil rights.

Now did he suffer an evil behind those bars? You betcha. Or how about Nelson Mandela? 27 years behind bars unjustifiably. Both of these men chose to make their experienced a positive one.

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And so It’s really up to you.

An event itself is objective.

How you describes it, whether it was unfair, or that they did it on purpose—well 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 principle quite well when he said “The ultimate weakness of violence, is that it is a descending spiral; returning violence with violence only multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.”

So, forgive yourself for being too harsh in your judgments. Second, forgive the other person, the miscommunication, or the unfortunate event. “Realize,” as author Ryan Holiday would say, that “This is not the environment you were made for—to be provoked. And as the saying goes, “when we tend to give evil nothing to oppose, it disappears by itself.”

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?

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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