If in a conflict, choose compassion.

According to the Buddha, “Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased”. Even Siddharta Gautama experienced discrimination and suffering, he was sometimes abused and he had to go through a hard journey to build his legacy. Also, other famous leaders like Martin Luther King Junior and Mahatma Gandhi, who had both advocated nonviolent action that led to societal changes in their corresponding countries, were victims of evil words, discrimination and disbelief. Buddhism teaches us that the cycle of violence of hatred, of abuse and of revenge can never be stopped with hatred. When someone insults you and you insult back, sometimes they come back worse. When someone punches and we punch back, we go home with more bruised and wounds. Nonviolence is not just letting yourself be harassed or assaulted, it is a way to protect yourself from even greater evils. Take for example, when you are bullied by a classmate or colleague, as long as you don’t feel physically threatened, empower yourself first. Remind yourself of your goodness, that their words can never hurt you and that those you may make mistakes, you can keep trying. Remember, the bully wants you to feel angry and powerless because they are also experiencing something bad in their own life. Some practical solutions include: when a bully is approaching you count from 1 to 100 to relax yourself or maybe you can just walk away or if he insults you, join in insults yourself and laugh with him then walk away.