to be or not to be, to say or not to say

Consider the following quotes:
1. "Treat others as you would want to be treated."
2. "Eye for an eye, ear for an ear."


     Those two statements are contradictions. The first one tells us to treat people the way you would want to be treated while the second echos that sometimes it is okay to play fair. I have really been struggling and thinking about these ideas. We come across so many people and so many situations and it is inevitable that in our lives we will be hurt, and hurt more then a few times. The manner in which we respond to these situations can make all the difference. We can choose to avenge, confront, forgive or forget (or some combination of these).