Does anyone know what the expression "fight fire with fire" mean?

Question

Does anyone know what the expression "fight fire with fire" mean?

Answer 1

Do  to them the same thing they do to you.

Answer 2

if ur mean to someone, expect them to be mean back--treat others the way u would want to be treated. don't keep fighting, it just makes the fire bigger and bigger and soon someone is gonna get really hurt.

Answer 3

If some one treats you badly, treat them badly back in return. The same as "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".

Answer 4

No No No, these people answering  above me have this expression all wrong. To "fight fire with fire" means if someone trys to bring you down, or if there is a situation thats just not going your way, you have to fight through it just as strongly.

Your fighting the "fire" with your own "fire".  Your getting through the situation by being strong.

"Do onto others as you would have them do unto you" is a totally different quote meaning that you should  treat others the way you would want them to treat you.

Answer 5

in combat they call it the 1up rule...

If somone comes to a gunfight with an actual gun they will be surprized when they see your bazooka! HooRah

Answer 6

Do unto others better than they have done unto you.     :)

Answer 7

They used to actually fight fire with fire.......when a wildfire was burning out of control the firemen would start a controlled fire in the path of the raging fire.  And then put that fire controlled fire out.  When the raging fire made it to that spot, there was nothing left to burn, so it basically burned itself out.