kill or be killed?

You know how people say, kill or be killed, laugh or be laugh at, use those kinds of phrases to refer to the world, to life, to school? So I've been thinking, very hard about this (I posted a few posts like these, all under 'paradox' as the title, at least I think so)... Is there no in between, (not in the posts, but in real life context)?

Where in real life, we don't need to crush people, step on the toes, to climb up the step ladder, to be a little higher on the pyramid called hierarchy... just do your own part, in pushing yourself further and challenging yourself?

I guess, I forgot that, it was something I learnt in my last year in primary school, don't push other people down, to get up, stop being competitive, the only person you should compete against, is yourself, help people get up, not push them to the ground and step on them like a step ladder.

I think, the world isn't always fair, and there is a lot of toxicity and betrayal, and stepping on other people's toes, but that doesn't mean I have to be like that. I just have to be the most difficult thing to be, but also the easiest and most natural, me. And challenge my worst enemy, myself, with my best soldier, me.

Why do I push myself and limit myself between these two options in real life, kill or be killed, when there always is a million other ways to confront anything?

So just what am I doing? (*scoffs)