1When a feeling pushes you to hide or lash out and it does not fit the facts, gently do the opposite.
Fear says withdraw; step forward. Anger says strike; soften. When the urge misfits reality, act against it.
Where it sits. DBT and ACT, opposite action and values-based action
Islamic evidence
Repel evil with good (Quran 23:96). Answering an ugly pull with its opposite good is the move being named.
“Repel evil with good- We are well aware of what they attribute to Us”
Qur'an 23:96
Psychological evidence
When an emotion does not fit the situation, doing the opposite of what it urges, approaching instead of avoiding, softening instead of striking, gradually turns the feeling down.
Linehan, M. M., Armstrong, H. E., Suarez, A., Allmon, D. and Heard, H. L. (1991). Archives of General Psychiatry · doi
Structured skills training in emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness reduces crisis behaviour and improves functioning.
Review detail
Why it works. Acting against an unhelpful emotional urge, when it does not fit the facts, weakens the emotion over time.