What do you do if someone hurts you? Do you hurt them back or do you turn the other cheek?
If you opt for the first, you might fuel a never ending series of mutual attacks and as history taught us, no one wins in a war. If you choose the letter, you might be regarded as weak and nobody likes that.
How about an attitude that is neither provocative, nor a sign of lack of strength? This middle path is kindness, and not the one that urges you to give a thief the key to your house too, after he already stole your car. This is the type of kindness that translates into politeness and comprehension. It is the kind of attitude that show you are wise and experienced and able to manage a conflict without dragging your oponent through the mud and getting dirty as well in the process.
If someone treats you bad, you can turn this behaviour against them by replying with calm and comprehension and by relying more on your ration, rather than on emotions which are always hard to control in a conflict.
This way, you can make the person who wronged you reflect on their attitude and, maybe, even feel sorry and ashamed for what they did.
Kindness also means willingness to understand the other person's motivation and realize why they acted to your detriment. If you are able to do that, in the end, you might even discover that you are not that hurt after all and that maybe that person was actually at a dead end and had to act against you, or maybe acted unknowingly or totally unintentionally.
Showing kindness in a moment of crisis is actually a sign of strength because not many people are able to repress their anger and hate when they are hurt.
Image from: www.pixaby.com