There's a temptation to retaliate when someone brings you down, but that's a weak individual's choice. The right choice or strong decision is to do what's right, and as the wise adage says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
We can all think of times when people treated us poorly. I remember a time long ago when hurtful words were hurled at me by strangers. I felt so low. I wanted to respond with similar words, but at the time, I was too stunned to respond at all. I'm glad I didn't give in to the temptation to retaliate.
Similarly, there's a temptation to stonewall those who stonewall you, but that's never a good course of action, so it's better to respond with openness and positivity.
Doing the right thing is not always easy, but it's always the right thing to do. Onward.