When someone acts against us in a way that is bothersome or hurtful, a natural instinct is to react in kind. We should resist this temptation and respond with the way that we hoped the other person would act. Escalation of negativity does not lead to positivity.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) ― American Christian minister/Civil rights leader