The Inner Monologue

Ah, the eye for an eye mentality—the intellectual equivalent of throwing a tantrum because someone took your toy, so you break theirs in return. How refined. How strategic. How utterly predictable.

Here’s the thing: Retaliation isn’t the problem. The problem is how people retaliate. The dim-witted default to direct, brutish payback—violence for violence, cruelty for cruelty, petty spite for petty spite. It’s the emotional reasoning of a toddler who hasn’t yet grasped object permanence, let alone long-term consequences.

But the truly intelligent? They understand that the best retaliation isn’t just reaction—it’s elevation.

• A country commits acts of violence? Crush them economically. Sanctions, trade restrictions, diplomatic isolation—watch them wither without firing a shot.
• A political party acts in bad faith? Expose them. Humiliate them. Let the court of public opinion do the dirty work while you keep your hands clean.
• Someone wrongs you personally? Outshine them. Outmaneuver them. Let their own actions be their downfall while you rise above.

The eye for an eye crowd loves to pretend their retaliation is “justice,” but really, it’s just laziness. It takes no creativity, no discipline, no moral high ground—just raw, unthinking reaction. And guess what? That’s how cycles of violence, hatred, and stupidity perpetuate themselves. So by all means, retaliate if you must. But if you’re going to do it, at least have the decency to be smart about it. Otherwise, you’re just proving you’re no better than the idiots you’re fighting against. And nobody wants that.