Revenge: good or bad?

[blazeofglory]

Do you thing that revenge is a good thing, that people who do bad things should get what they deserve?

Or do you think that we should be forgiving, that revenge only causes the perpetration of violence in society? If you think so, can you actually forgive everyone that harms you or your loved ones?

Is death penalty about justice, revenge or prevention?

And as we are in a literature forum, what was the best revenge story you've ever read?

This is one of the greatest questions I often ask myself and the rest. In point of fact the idea of revenge is in our blood, and we have genetically inherited and we can not cleanse ourselves of it at any rate. Our very mental or genetic fabrics are woven of it and whatever endeavors we make we can not erase it at all.

In my idyllic moments or when I read great books like the Bible I feel that forgiveness is a panacea, something that help us and I often try to keep to this idea, but our nature does not allow it. We are by nature revengeful.

Let us not be pretenders. In day to day behavioral patterns of us there are depictions of our real natures which are revengeful and retributive and to say we are forgiving people by nature is a lie, to be dishonest to ourselves, for without taking revenge we can not even survive in this world.

When we become hypocritical or try to teach others we seem against the idea of taking revenges but in real life situations we are very deadly revengeful demons.

[Mr Hyde]

What is justice but a crude mask for revenge?

Justice is nothing beyond revenge carried out by a vindicative creature.

[Lady Marian]

I completely agree with you, Blazeofglory. It is the farthest thing from our nature to forgive when we or someone we care about has been wronged. The Bible was not written to be obeyed with no help. Its directions were meant to be followed with assistance...from the one person who has obeyed every single rule in the Bible.

About revenge, if we allow it to take over us, we will destroy ourselves. Literature and history illustrates that plainly. Ask Jean Valjean, Count of Monte Cristo, etc. Would anyone want to be them, when they got what they wanted?

[Dark Muse]

Justice is nothing beyond revenge carried out by a vindicative creature.

You consider Justice/Revenge to be vindictative, as if it is a negative thing. Does that mean you think if someone should rob from you, or harm you, that they ought to just get away with it without any sort of consequence?

[TheKmank]

Revenge is a plague, spreading of a emptiness inside that the mind created with hate, hate founded in your own cruelty.

Justice brings equality, for one that deals suffering should reap what he sews.

[Mr Hyde]

Revenge is a plague, spreading of a emptiness inside that the mind created with hate, hate founded in your own cruelty.

Justice brings equality, for one that deals suffering should reap what he sews.

Justice is revenge. And justice is one man's revenge while being another's damnation all at once simultaneously.

You consider Justice/Revenge to be vindictative, as if it is a negative thing. Does that mean you think if someone should rob from you, or harm you, that they ought to just get away with it without any sort of consequence?

I don't consider it to be negative but I do consider all forms of justice to be nothing more than revenge.

Does that mean you think if someone should rob from you, or harm you, that they ought to just get away with it without any sort of consequence?

Only if they can get away it. I don't believe in morality and ethics or any sort of golden rule.

I believe if somthing happens it merely happens and nothing else.

I guess that would make me a social nihilist of sorts. People get what they get and nothing more.

[Scheherazade]

Don't know whether it is good or bad... but it is sweet - they say. I wouldn't know.

[remy_duvalle]

Do you thing that revenge is a good thing, that people who do bad things should get what they deserve?

Or do you think that we should be forgiving, that revenge only causes the perpetration of violence in society? If you think so, can you actually forgive everyone that harms you or your loved ones?

Is death penalty about justice, revenge or prevention?

And as we are in a literature forum, what was the best revenge story you've ever read?

The death penalty is never necessary, in my opinion. I personally think having such a harsh, definitive, irreversible punishment in our judicial system is completely wrong. Especially after years of knowingly over-turning many cases due to DNA tests... in many cases AFTER the criminal was put to death.

Plus, I just think Life in Prison would be a much harsher sentence for the guilty, knowing they'll have to be stuck there for their whole lives.

And while keeping them in prison for life would cost tax-payers money, I don't see this as a viable argument because we have so many unnecessary people imprisoned for MINOR drug charges.

I'm not really pushing for the legalization of drugs (beyond the medicinal level), I just think throwing someone in jail for smoking weed is a joke. Especially when cost is an actual argument for putting criminals to death rather than sentencing to life in prison.

The death penalty is straight revenge, it seems. Sure, it might give some victims a sense of justice, but it's more fulfilling their desire for revenge, rather than justice.

And prevention is a bizarre argument to me. Sure, some people get off because doctors say they've been rehabilitated... but in cases of 100%-certainty (or in cases that would have warranted a death penalty) I don't think they'd be as quick to release someone like that. And even then, I'm pretty sure if we got rid of the death penalty, they could adjust rulings so that those that would have been sentenced to death have 0%, even after rehabilitation, of getting out... unless of course new, conclusive evidence came up that got them off the hook.

Anyway..

I think 1-to-1 revenge is usually not a good thing. However, in cases of someone killing another person, I do think the victim (or victim's family) deserves revenge in the form of having the criminal caught and thrown in jail for a period of time (even life in some cases).

But hurting someone for hurting you or someone you love is uncalled for, unless it's in defense.

[Dark Muse]

The death penalty is straight revenge, it seems. Sure, it might give some victims a sense of justice, but it's more fulfilling their desire for revenge, rather than justice.

If someone takes the life of another person in cold blood (And murder is the only crime in which you can be viable for the death penalty) then I do not have an iota of sympathy. I say fry them!

I do not buy into bleeding heart nonsense that it is immoral to put a murderer to death, and well often times those who get the death penalty are guilty of multiple murders not just one single incident.

[mangueken]

I'm against the death penalty and not because I'm a bleeding heart. I just think it's a contradiction to a society who says that murder is wrong and then organize itself to do what is pre-meditated murder.
This is totally different from taking someone's life who is trying to hurt or kill your person or people you love and care about. That is about defense and totally justified. But come on all you supporters of an "eye for an eye", if someone raped your mother or sister, would you really rape one of the criminal's family members?
And as far as literature about revenge I would suggest 1001 Arabian Nights, several stories deal this topic and then there is The Stranger by Albert Camus too.

[Dark Muse]

But come on all you supporters of an "eye for an eye", if someone raped your mother or sister, would you really rape one of the criminal's family members?

Well an eye for an eye does not have to be taken quite that litteraly. It just means that under the eye an eye theroy it would not be justifiable to blow somones brians out becasue they cut you off in trafic, because that is a clear over reaction to the offense

But I do think that death is a completely justified punishment for rape.

[Virgil]

Don't know whether it is good or bad... but it is sweet - they say. I wouldn't know.

Wouldn't know? Ha! You've gotten your revenge on me a number of times. [only kidding if someone thinks I'm serious.]

[mangueken]

Dark Muse
a murder for a rape? Seems like your upping the ante. But that's not my point because the real question is if organized murder somehow satisfies the victim of the crime? The crimes that can get someone the death penalty are arbitrary and I doubt you support 99% of the crimes that can get capital punishment in the world today.

[Dark Muse]

I do not think it is upping the ante, I think it is a pefectly legitimate exchange. I have in fact felt for a long time what rape should be added to murder to the crimes which can get one the death penelty in the court of law.

[mangueken]

Do you agree with stoning an adulterous woman to death as is practiced in some countries? What about treason? Apostasy? Cowardice or desertion in the military sphere?
What makes these any better or worse as candidates for capital punishment?
Does capital punishment makes us better or worse as individuals or a society?