Wowbugger,

You've taken my previous post (for some reason) very personally. I'll try to explain what I meant by the two seemingly conflicting statements. As Little Neo says, one should have compassion for those who feel the need to attack. Babys are not born as predators; through their life experiences, a predator is created. They view the world and other people as hostile. I don't know about you but I think that's very sad. On an intellectual level, it's obvious that compassion should be afforded them.

On the emotional side, these people do an immeasurable amount of harm to others. And if you are the one who has been bullied, to actually feel compassion for your attacker is next to impossible to do, although I think it's the ideal and it would ease your own pain. Short of that, however, since none of us are Mother Theresa, it does help to realize that the person who hurt you is hurting too. A bit of revenge, yes, but if it helps you feel better, that's the most important thing. It's the passive equivalent of M.Ted's two-by-four or Amos' slam with large boots.