Revenge?

I've been having a lot of trouble with my landlord during this move. He has not been following through the way in which he keeps promising he will, and he has been causing me a lot of stress that is totally unnecessary. I was complaining to one of my co-workers who mentioned that I should do damage to my apartment in order to get back at my landlord, especially if I don't get my deposit back (which I do think I will get, it just hasn't yet happened). I told my co-worker that I would prefer to take him to court if that was the case, and my co-worker countered that it wouldn't be worth the cost - that I would end up spending more in legal fees than my deposit is worth and that I should just trash the apartment. I told him that I am not the type to do such a thing, and he replied that I am just playing the role of victim if I don't.

I don't agree with this reasoning. The stress my landlord is putting me through is wrong. But I don't think it would make it better by my compromising my values and integrity and in turn trashing my apartment. I've never been able to understand the revenge mindset, which is what trashing my apartment seems to me to be. Because I feel like I lose even more if I would engage in such an act.

I'm not planning on trashing my apartment, though I will fight tooth and nail to get my deposit back and my moving expenses covered, as my landlord promised. But can someone explain to me how trashing the place causes me to not be a victim?