Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realise your ideal of compassion.
Nhat HanhRead
When you say something really unkind, when you do something in retaliation your anger increases. You make the other person suffer, and he will try hard to say or to do something back to get relief from his suffering. That is how conflict escalates.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Retaliatory actions driven by anger only escalate conflict and suffering between individuals.
This quote by Nhat Hanh highlights the cycle of anger and retaliation that often exists in interpersonal conflicts. When one person acts unkindly in response to perceived wrongs, it leads to a chain reaction where both parties experience increased suffering, ultimately resulting in an escalation of the conflict. The essence of the quote is a call for mindfulness and compassion in our interactions, encouraging us to break this cycle rather than contributing to it.
Themes
AngerConflictRetaliationSufferingKindness
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about conflict resolution during a workshop.
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Scientists tell us that we have enough technology to save our planet. . . . Yet we don't take advantage of this new technology. . . . The technological has to work hand-in-hand with the spiritual. Our spiritual life is the element that can bring about the energies of peace, calm, brotherhood, understanding, and compassion. Without that, our planet doesn't stand a chance.
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