When someone treats us wrongly, insults us, or deceives us, it is quite natural to feel anger. Often, there is a desire to retaliate in kind. However, the teachings of Gautama Buddha indicate that holding onto anger and hatred harms not the opponent, but the person themselves.
The essence of Gautama Buddha's teachings is that hatred cannot be eliminated by hatred. If a person does you harm, and you respond with revenge, the conflict is likely not to end but only to intensify, sustaining anger and anxiety in the soul.
At the moment the desire for revenge arises, instead of immediate action, one should ask oneself: what will I gain from this? Will peace come to me after harming another? Decisions made in a state of anger often lead to regret later on.
Therefore, it is better to pause and consider the situation with a calm mind. Perhaps the best response to what troubles you so much is not revenge, but simply moving on from that situation.
If someone has treated you unjustly, constantly harboring anger and hatred because of their mistake will torment you. Another person may have hurt you once, but constant rumination on it can keep you unhappy for a long time. The teachings of Buddha teach us to free our minds from negative feelings.
Forgiving someone does not mean accepting their wrongful behavior as right. Forgiveness can also mean that you do not want this event to dominate your life. If a person constantly treats you badly, it is important to distance yourself from them and set boundaries. However, constant self-torture with the feeling of revenge is not a solution.
The best response to another person's wrongdoing is often to focus on one's own life. It is necessary to pay attention to one's happiness, career, family, and goals. When you are engaged in self-improvement, the feeling of revenge gradually weakens.
