Do Not Pay Evil With Evil

Humans have a natural inclination to get their pond of flash whenever they have been wronged. “An eye for an eye” is literal and normal to a lot of persons. We tend to be more inclined to want to hurt those who have hurt us. We seek revenge because it offers us some form of validation. The average human being does not mind a little jungle justice once in a while. While some of us are successful in controlling our natural instincts to get revenge, some of us are not. We can take years to strategize a way to get back at someone who has done something wrong to us. This should not be the case. The New Testament of the Holy Bible advocated a non-aggressive, non-Reactive approach when we are wronged. It encourages us to take turn the other cheek when we get hit on one cheek. This approach might look foolish to anyone who seeks to get validation by returning word for word and blow for blow. Be the bigger person. Make yourself a promise that no matter how badly people treat you, you will not treat them the same way. Resolve to be the bigger person in every situation you find yourself. The journey to becoming someone who doesn’t seek for revenge starts from the mind. We have been convinced that getting back at people who hurt us makes us a better person. We also believe that when we get revenge, we understand the validation or satisfaction we need. We have to tell ourselves the truth, which is that revenge does not bring satisfaction. It only satisfies a primal instinct to hurt another person. When we give in to the urge to hurt someone in return, we have allowed our primal characteristic to take over. We have lost control and can even be called Neanderthals. The Golden Rule which is an adaptation of the two major commandments in the Holy Bible says: “do unto others what you want them to do to you”. In the words of the bible, “love your neighbour as yourself”. The simple act of selflessness itself makes you a better and bigger person than the one who has hurt you in the first place. When you take the higher road of not replying fire with fire, you do not become the lesser person. This theory is most accurate for people who are more than capable of enacting revenge. These group of persons have not only the resources but also the cause and opportunity to carry out revenge. They choose not to. Instead, they focus on moving on and getting better. They seek healing from the hurt and move on because they know that God sees their heart. Even when people do not treat you the way they want to be treated, even when people do not love themselves, they still aim to be the better person. Choose to walk away if turning the other cheek is too much. Choose love over revenge.