# Accept violence as a necessary part of your life We have been raised to think that violence is, in all circumstances, an unacceptable behaviour. That violence is never the answer to any given situation. However, that statement is false. Former military intelligence officer Tim Larkin sums it up like this: > Violence is rarely the answer, but when it is, it is the *only* answer. When you face an imminent threat to your life, violence is often your only possible choice. If that is the case, make sure to answer loudly and definitely: the strength of your retaliation may be the difference between life and death. Tim Larkin interviewed aggressors about how they would react in a given violent situation between two people. While ordinary people always see themselves as the victim, those predators do not: they always assume they are in the winning side of the equation. Therefore, the greatest difference between predators and ordinary people is their *mindset*. Even martial artists and sport competitors are no match against predators since the majority of sports have rules which ban *injury* to the other party. And yet, we are very proficient at inflicting injury to others: in addition to punch and kicks, we can bite, claw, choke… When faced with violence, the ugly but rational answer may be to respond with more violence than the enemy could ever imagine is possible. From now on, when you see or read about a violent situation, imagine yourself as the superior position instead of as the victim. Uncomfortable though it may be, this will be a first step towards altering your mindset, and it could potentially save your life one day. --- ## 📚 References TEDx Talks. [_The Paradox of Violence | Tim Larkin | TEDxGrandForks_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HROsqfsJkx8). 2015. *YouTube*.