Kill 'em with kindness

Two separate and unrelated incidents last week made me reevaluate how I deal with situations where I am being picked on. Since both matters are of somewhat sensitive natures, I won't go into specifics. Suffice it to say, I was among some who were on the receiving end of some rather shabby treatment.

I actually surprised myself by reacting rather calmly in both instances. Instead of my usual flare-up-and-fight impulse, I took a long hard look at the blow dealt, mulled over what I should do in response, decided upon what I felt was the RIGHT thing to do, and went and did it. That doesn't mean I wasn't angry; heck, I was livid over the second affront, as several long, rage-filled text messages to my friends can prove. But I realized that lashing back would not help any, and in fact might make things worse. Civility was my weapon of choice. I figure, not only is it less exhausting to wield, it can be just as effective (if not more), and when the skirmish is over, I can trudge off the battlefield with my head held high, knowing I engaged my adversary like a decent human being... even if the same consideration was not accorded to me.

I believe strongly in basic courtesy and respect. Even in conflict, I will not wage wars using low blows and cheap tactics. I will stand up for myself, but I refuse to do so while pushing someone else down.

Besides, some battles-- and some antagonists-- are just not worth fighting.