Revenge is like fire, it burns everything it touches. Putting it out with compassion is the first step in resurrecting something new from the ashes.
Last update: January 18, 2022
Gandhi said "an eye for an eye and the world goes blind". With nonviolence as its maxim, this quote seeks out ears willing to listen to it and understand its message. His revenge warning is simple to understand, but difficult to apply.
When we are deeply hurt, we feel the desire to take revenge. When someone we love and appreciate hurts us, they can leave an emotional wound that burns with intense heat and begs to be healed with another wound in the attacker's heart.
When faced with a deep emotional wound, we may feel the need to cause the other person similar or greater harm than was inflicted on us.
Origin of the expression "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"
Although the origin of this expression is not entirely clear, we can trace it back to two others present in the Bible and in the Code of Hammurabi. In both texts the meaning attributed to the phrase is the same, ie that offenses and damages deserve proportional compensation.
Also known as the law of Taglione, which means identical or similar, it also refers to the need for proportionality between crimes and punishments so that justice is done.
However, does paying with the same coin really guarantee justice or does it simply fuel a tireless spiral of revenge?
Revenge: immediate satisfaction, permanent consequences
Revenge is a failed attempt to balance the balance because, no matter how many interventions are made, it will always remain unbalanced.
The injured person will feel inferior to the person who caused the damage, so he will try to hurt him in order to regain his initial position of equilibrium or achieve superiority.
The first emotion that usually appears when one takes revenge is satisfaction and the feeling that everything has found its balance. However, this feeling quickly fades to give way to feelings of guilt and remorse.
There can also be a sense of emptiness, such as when finishing a large project, if the time and resources invested in planning and executing the aforementioned revenge have been enormous.
Even in the absence of remorse after revenge, one cannot speak of balance. The consequences of revenge persist and its effects may be reflected in future times, when the desire to hurt reappears along with sadness over the damage caused.
It is impossible to predict the future and to know who we will need by our side. Maybe that person we want to hurt today will be important in our life tomorrow.
The thirst for vengeance fades, but the pain caused as a result of this feeling can be profound or permanent.
Revenge of the island that is not there
When one person writes the first page of the book of revenge and the other continues the story, it is unlikely that a crescendo will be avoided until the climax is reached.
The intensity of both characters' actions will tend to increase with the succession of the chapters of history.
Revenge resides in Neverland, where you stay young, there are no rules, no responsibilities.
When a problem arises between two or more people, there are several alternatives: flee, attack or find a solution. In case of revenge, the alternative chosen is to attack.
If both people decide to use the same strategy, there will be an escalation of the conflict that will escalate until one side decides that too much has already been lost in that battle.
The world lacks compassion and an abundance of honor
In the culture of honor, where the important thing is not the damage caused but the honor repaired, relationships are set on fire by burning others.
Fueling revenge with attacks will only fuel the flame of hatred. Putting out the fire is only the first step which will allow something new to emerge from the ashes.
There is no justice in revenge, there is no reparation in the attack.
Responding to pain with more pain will not change the situation or make you feel better. Most of the time, being brave does not mean responding harder than the other, but putting yourself in the shoes of those who have hurt and deciding not to want anyone else to relive that pain.
