Revenge: How do you feel about it?

[Kolby Jack]

Personally I find the pursuit of revenge both acceptable and justifiable as long as it fulfills certain conditions: 1) it has to be personal, otherwise there's no real point, 2) it has to be approximately equal to the act that caused you to seek revenge in the first place, 3) it has to end when your revenge is had and not one bit longer than that, and 4) it shouldn't be petty; it's rather childish to seek revenge for something that it would take a normal person 30 seconds to get over. I'm talking things that are fairly traumatizing, like assault or psychological trauma, or murder. Excessive property damage... maybe, but I mean EXCESSIVE. Property can be replaced.

However, while I do find appropriate revenge to be acceptable human behavior, rising above it and finding the capacity to forgive is by far the best solution in most cases. I will not hold it against you if you want revenge for the crimes committed against you or those close to you, but I always hope it doesn't have to come to that, and you'll never find me recommending vengeance.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Supernova1138]

It's a dish that is best served cold, that's why I only exact vengeance during the Winter. So those who wronged me are probably safe for another 7 months or so.

 

[Doclector]

I believe revenge sometimes to be the right course of action, because somebody wronged you, they deserve to be punished, and the proper authorities are unwilling to help.

How you go about that punishment? Depends on the person. Murder is never worth it. Hurting them is. The best kind of revenge humiliates the victim. Shames them. Everyone can see their crime, and nobody will ever fall for their tricks.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Revenge is petty.

Justice, on the other hand...

 

[Daystar Clarion]

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Revenge is petty.

Justice, on the other hand...

Actually, an eye for an eye would make the whole world go blind; with the exclusion of one man, who is left with an eye

Not everyone in the world has two functioning eyes.

Your move

 

[Jaeke]

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Revenge is petty.

Justice, on the other hand...

... is the reserved twin of Revenge.

It only takes a simple push, and then the restraints are gone, only Revenge is left, and it is the ugly side of justice.

Vengeance is their older brother.

 

[Relish in Chaos]

I operate on an "eye for an eye" justice system, which includes basically most of what you said. Revenge is both acceptable and justifiable if it's personal and approximately equal to the act that provoked you into revenge in the first place.

For example, of course there's no complete way to exact revenge on, say, a child molester. But I'd still make sure that the bastard was raped himself, rather than being able to go to prison and live out the rest of his days without having to suffer the psychological trauma that his victim would inevitably writhe over until their death, possibly even suicide.

I'm not advocating the death penalty though, since I believe it to be a good idea that's poor in practice, for reasons such as possible innocents being wrongfully executed. But if there's evidence to prove 100% that a person intentionally and purposely committed murder, then they should be killed themselves. Too many people are allowed to get away with abominable crimes under our inconsistent and amoral justice system, to the point that it's almost as if the court favours with the perpetrator rather than the victim.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Revenge is petty.

Justice, on the other hand...

... is the reserved twin of Revenge.

It only takes a simple push, and then the restraints are gone, only Revenge is left, and it is the ugly side of justice.

Vengeance is their older brother.

And that's the difference between revenge and justice.

Showing the restraint to not go too far.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

Revenge? Revenge is awesome:





...just try not to be the main and/or title character.

 

[Realitycrash]

Personally I find the pursuit of revenge both acceptable and justifiable as long as it fulfills certain conditions: 1) it has to be personal, otherwise there's no real point, 2) it has to be approximately equal to the act that caused you to seek revenge in the first place, 3) it has to end when your revenge is had and not one bit longer than that, and 4) it shouldn't be petty; it's rather childish to seek revenge for something that it would take a normal person 30 seconds to get over. I'm talking things that are fairly traumatizing, like assault or psychological trauma, or murder. Excessive property damage... maybe, but I mean EXCESSIVE. Property can be replaced.

However, while I do find appropriate revenge to be acceptable human behavior, rising above it and finding the capacity to forgive is by far the best solution in most cases. I will not hold it against you if you want revenge for the crimes committed against you or those close to you, but I always hope it doesn't have to come to that, and you'll never find me recommending vengeance.

What are your thoughts?

If it doesn't produce more hapiness than misery in total, I am against it. And in most cases, it certainly doesn't, and is just a stupid, biological leftover from earlier times.
FUCK revenge, GO the juridical justice system.
If it is something that doesn't need to be covered by the justice system, it probably isn't really needed to get revenge for either.

 

[gigastar]

Revenge. If the situation ever arises where what i call "revenge [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DisproportionateRetribution]" becomes a reasonable option, i will make it total and glorious.

If it doesn't produce more hapiness than misery in total, I am against it. And in most cases, it certainly doesn't, and is just a stupid, biological leftover from earlier times.

Alot of things about humans are a stupid, biological leftover from earlier times. However being able to accept that fact and being able to do things about it exist on very different levels of do-ability...

 

[Realitycrash]

Revenge. If the situation ever arises where what i call "revenge [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DisproportionateRetribution]" becomes a reasonable option, i will make it total and glorious.

If it doesn't produce more hapiness than misery in total, I am against it. And in most cases, it certainly doesn't, and is just a stupid, biological leftover from earlier times.

Alot of things about humans are a stupid, biological leftover from earlier times. However being able to accept that fact and being able to do things about it exist on very different levels of do-ability...

I am willing to accept a few slip-ups from people (we are all human, afterall, as the saying goes), as long as they are aware that what they did was wrong (i.e actintg from revenge), but had a hard time controlling themselves. I do expect people in general to be able to do something "about" it, though. You have a frontal lobe, you are in controll. Saying "I was really angry/upset/sad/felt betrayed" isn't a viable excuse.

 

[Esotera]

Depends on how it's doled out. We have a justice system for a reason...if it's a very small thing, then it may be best to get vengeance simply by ignoring it, or not doing good things for the person who wronged you.

I think that if only two parties are involved, and the desire for revenge on both sides are great, then they should be given the chance to settle their disagreements by a duel/tournament rather than going through the justice system. (Providing both agree)

Then again, that's a bit of a weird view and would probably do more harm than good...there's nothing rational about it, I just think it'd be cool.

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

I find revenge to be childish and wrong. Personal reasons should never motivate anyone taking action to harm another. Justice is simply organized revenge in many cases, and in such cases it remains wrong. Revenge is only right when it is reasonable to assume good would come of it, and for that to be so revenge would no longer be the primary motivating factor.

 

[Fishyash]

I've never felt better "getting back at someone" (not quite revenge, fortunately nobody has really wronged me on such a level), maybe I felt justified for a moment but then it becomes blatant rationalization and then I feel bad for it. From what I have noticed, revenge SUCKS.

 

[manic_depressive13]

I think it's kind of petty. I'd rather remove myself from the company of someone who wronged me and move on rather than plot to hurt/humiliate them, even if it is equal to what they have done to me.

 

[Leemaster777]

Revenge. The most worthless of causes.

Yeah, I'm against it. I'm for justice, but as previously mentioned, it's a very slippery slope from justice to revenge.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Eeeeehh....

Revenge is a VERY VERY VERY dark and slippery slope...

It should only be reserved for cases where the guy who started it is completely untouchable by the law, and your hurt is VERY severe (they killed your family, raped you, sent you to jail for their benefit, etc), AND they were fully aware that what they were doing was wrong and hurtful, but they did it anyway for their own benefit/pleasure.

Only if all of these conditions are met do I condone it.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

I only condone revenge under very specific conditions, someone rapes you or a family member of yours, torture and death are appropriate measures of revenge, someone kills a family member, offing that asshole quick and painless worls as a preventative measure.

Otherwise, live and let live.