"Hey, you want to hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you"

This quote by Budd Schulberg is promoting for a proactive approach to life. He is recommending that rather of awaiting somebody to do something to you, you need to take the initiative and do it to them first. This could be translated as a call to take control of your life and not await others to make decisions for you. It might also be analyzed as a call to be proactive in defending yourself and not await somebody to take advantage of you. In either case, the message is clear: don't wait for another person to do something to you, do it to them first. This quote encourages us to take charge of our lives and not be passive in the face of hardship.