What does it mean to meet violence with nonviolence?what does it look like

Meeting violence with nonviolence means responding to aggressive, forceful, or violent actions with peaceful actions, attitudes, and words. Instead of reacting to violence with more violence, a person or group chooses to use peaceful means to address, de-escalate, or protest against the situation.

Nonviolent resistance often involves tactics like dialogue, peaceful protests, civil disobedience (the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes and fines), and other forms of peaceful engagement. The idea behind nonviolence is that moral superiority can undermine the moral authority of the oppressor and sway public opinion. By refusing to resort to violent means, the nonviolent resister communicates that their cause is just and that they are willing to suffer rather than inflict suffering on others.

What nonviolence looks like can vary greatly depending on situation and context. It can be as simple as a person refusing to fight back when attacked, engaging in active listening, and attempting to de-escalate a potentially violent confrontation with words. On a larger scale, it might involve organized events such as marches, sit-ins, boycotts, or hunger strikes. These activities are designed to bring attention to a cause, show commitment to nonviolence, and compel change without the use of physical force.