Villainy for the Virtuous
It is an unfortunate belief of mine that virtue without a capacity for villainy is foolishness, just as bravery without fear is recklessness. To be a force for good in this world is to contend with evil, and in the process of doing so, it becomes quickly apparent that there's an asymmetry that must be surmounted.
That asymmetry is simply the lengths to which one is willing to go to see ones desires manifest. My personal opinion is that this delta is a key driver of the imbalance between good and evil in this world. It's often said that all it takes for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing, but moreover they (good men) must also be willing to do some things that they find unpleasant, hypocritical even.
If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, is not the road to heaven paved with bad ones?
Every religion has a god of creation and or destruction- either there is a being of necessary malevolence to balance out the benevolent, one, or in the most fantastic case, the Judeo-Christian god, both functions reside in the same deity.
Even the creators and inhabitants of heaven themselves do not restrain themselves from raining hell, when it is deemed necessary.
I've seen, both in my personal endeavors and relationships, and that of others close to me, so many efforts fall short of achieving the good, because they are not willing to do the bad thing. They get routed. I got routed.
Peace is beautiful, and war is not always necessary, but sometimes the latter is required to secure the former. When the barbarians are at the gates, your diplomats will serve you little. There will come a time when you're required to draw your sword to survive. Wield it honorably, but do not leave it sheathed, lest you lose everything you have and anything you stood to gain.
Once you realize your enemy is prepared to take it there, go the distance with them.
You can absolve your guilt and make your peace with it on the way back.
"A fool can't play the wise, but the wise can act a fool." - Talib Kweli