revenge

"An eye for an eye will just make the whole world blind." -- Gandhi

Revenge is poison. Revenge doesn't benefit anyone. Punishment and accountability are all good and well but revenge is simply an expression of hate through hurting somebody.

"Now we're both hurt! Much better."

You, only God can forgive
Into a cage you'll go
My rage you'll know
You're lucky if I let you live
______________________

When the clock strikes twelve
It's all over
You'd better watch your back
Or just bend over

'Cause I'm coming at you quick
You little dick
I'm gonna stab you with this stick

My mind is all about killing you
In the end
No one will be around
No friends

When I see your ass
On the floor
It'd better be the end
No more

--SonicQ and me

A teaching of Jesus' during The Sermon on the Mount.

It is during this teaching that the famous "Turn the other cheek" phrase was spoken. Jesus tells us that if someone hits us, turn the other cheek and let them hit that as well. If someone forces you to do something, do twice as much - put twice as much effort as they require from you.

There are two parts to this - never to take revenge, and give your best, even to your enemy.

When I was first working sysadmin, my manager would never support us in what we did. He would let us firefight problems rather than step back and look at the broader picture. We worked longer and longer hours, until the network crashed so severly that the General Manager demanded that I be moved away from sysadmin into project support.

I Hated my manager - rather than accept that I should have done more to stop the firefighting, I swore revenge on him in my mind. Every time my colleagues discussed any work issues, I would rubbish him. Any way I could make his life harder, I would. The revenge feeling extended to the General Manager as well.

I wouldn't step back - we didn't step back during the sysadmin crisis, nor could I step back during my own crisis.

Now? Now I don't honestly care about them. I know that I should love my enemies, but I think that rather than overcome my anger and revenge feelings, I've just shoved them aside. But I don't want revenge against anyone. Not any longer.

I think revenge is a good thing. Whether it's watching a criminal being put to death for murder(s), or simply zapping someone back with static electricity charges, it's all the same.

And I, personally, like it.

Revenge begins with the idea of "I can't believe he/she did that!". The victim is appalled at the situation, and is confused.

While that thought begins to fester, it transforms into annoyance, and begins to fill the victims mind. The victim just can't stop thinking about said situation, and darker and darker thoughts arise. The victim will not forget the situation, nor will he/she be satisfied until revenge is met.

The victim plans and carries out the revenge. The instigator gets a taste of what he/she really did to the victim, and probably doesn't like it too much. Once revenge is paid, the instigator most likely will not do whatever it is he/she did in the first place because they now know how it feels, or what it is like. The victim is now freed of his/her vengeful thoughts, and life goes on...

You know, most of us were brought up under the teachings "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" or "Judge not lest ye be judged". Well, sometimes there are situations where these principles do not work. I firmly believe that, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

This is why my motto is: "Do unto others what has been done to you."

They just might deserve it...

An Insurance Agent was trying to induce a Hard Man to Deal With to take out a policy on his house. Afer listening to him for an hour, while he painted in vivid colors the extreme danger of fire consuming the house, the Hard Man to Deal With said:
      "Do you really think it likely that my house will burn down inside the time that my policy will run?"
      "Certainly," replied the Insurance Agent; "have I not been trying all this time to convince you that I do?"
      "Then," said the Hard Man to Deal With, "why are you so eager to have your Company bet me money that it will not?"
      The Agent was silent and thoughtful for a moment; then he drew the other apart into an infrequented place and whispered in his ear:
      "My friend, I will impart to you a dark secret. Years ago the Company betrayed my sweetheart by promise of marriage. Under an assumed name I have wormed myself into its service for revenge; and as there is a heaven above us, I will have its heart's blood."

Re*venge" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Revenged (?), p. pr. & vb. n. Revenging ().] [OF. revengier, F. revancher; pref. re- re- + OF. vengier to avenge, revenge, F. venger, L. vindicare. See Vindicate, Vengerance, and cf. Revindicate.]

1.

To inflict harm in return for, as an injury, insult, etc.; to exact satisfaction for, under a sense of injury; to avenge; -- followed either by the wrong received, or by the person or thing wronged, as the object, or by the reciprocal pronoun as direct object, and a preposition before thewrong done or the wrongdoer.

To revenge the death of our fathers. Ld. Berners.

The gods are just, and will revenge our cause. Dryden.

Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius. Shak.

2.

To inflict injury for, in a spiteful, wrong, or malignant spirit; to wreak vengeance for maliciously.

Syn. -- To avenge; vindicate. See Avenge.

© Webster 1913.

Re*venge", v. i.

To take vengeance; -- with

Shak.

© Webster 1913.

Re*venge", n.

1.

The act of revenging; vengeance; retaliation; a returning of evil for evil.

Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is even with his enemy; but in passing it over he is superior. Bacon.

2.

The disposition to revenge; a malignant wishing of evil to one who has done us an injury.

Revenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy foes. Shak.

The indulgence of revenge tends to make men more savage and cruel. Kames.

© Webster 1913.