How to take a beating like a man

Some people seem to be confused with the whole point of non-aggression. “If you don’t fight back”, they would say, “how would he learn a lesson?” There appears to be a sentiment that not fighting back is somehow a display of weakness. Allow me to explain the reasoning behind aggressive non-aggression.

If you would think that it takes a stronger will to put up a fight than to not fight, you are sorely mistaken. The self control required to take any amount of abuse and not fight back is incredible, but plenty of people have managed to pull it off. The strength doesn’t lie in muscles or bones, but in the mind. Probably the worst part is trying to push back the urge to take a swing.

“Oh! How I would love to wipe that smile off his face!”

But that completely defeats the purpose. You’re not trying to prove to your attacker that you are more physically capable, but more disciplined and willing to suffer for what you believe. At the same time showing to your attacker, yourself and the world, that you are unwilling to harm anyone else to get your message across. Your principles have more value and purpose if your defense of them does no harm.

Nothing shows how weak someone is at every level than seeing that person attack someone else. If they have to attack you to silence you, then your words are stronger than theirs’.

What about protecting your life? Would you harm someone else to or risk losing it?

Let me put the question to you in another way… Could you accomplish more with your genes or with your actions?

If you lose your life for not defending it, you actions carry far more aggression than any punch, knife or bullet can carry. If you save yourself, perhaps you can teach your children, one day, all of your values. But if you do that with your actions for the world to see, you can teach the children of the whole world.

Of course, I wouldn’t think anyone would be so willing to put their lives on the line for any cause. We are human after all, and self presevation is very much a part of our genes. So the point, again, could be made that not fighting or returning aggression is to show we have grown beyond our nature into something greater. We’re not just following instincts like wild dogs, but are thinking of our actions clearly and purposefully.

If that’s not worth taking a beating, then I’m not sure what is.

Hoping you never actually have to go through with this, let me elaborate the feeling…

As your attacker pulls back his fist and you see your blood on his fingers, your blood on his shirt and shoes, just remember this: You only lost your blood, but he lost his composure. You made him react, which means you’ve already won.

You have to be a thousand times stronger to take a beating than to dish one out.