Is it acceptable to get revenge on someone who has caused you harm? If so, give examples of instances where revenge has been justified. If not, give examples of how revenge was not "successful" to back up your argument.
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Kayla B
12/16/2013 04:09:49 am
In my opinion, revenge in any capacity is wrong. I'm a firm believer in karma or "you get what you give" and revenge always comes back to bite you in the butt. Take the Boston Tea Party for example, we dumped a bunch of tea in the Boston Harbor trying to make a stand and protest the goods and their high taxes. Instead of getting lower priced goods, the British raised the taxes even higher. The proper way to deal with that situation would be to have an adult conversation and try and make a agreement. Dumping tea meant for you in the harbor doesn't hurt anyone but you.
Hannah B
12/18/2013 02:32:17 am
I agree with you 100% Kayla! Two people should come to an agreement in order to settle a situation. With the Boston Tea party, it was wrong of them to to the tea in the harbor, they should have just came to an agreement instead. At the time they wouldn't of cared if they killed life forms that are living in the harbor, but as a result they learned it wasn't such a good idea. Great response Kayla!
Kevin K.
12/19/2013 12:32:04 am
Revenge is acceptable. Revenge acts as a definitive mark on character and allows one person to judge another. Without marks on one another’s character, humans are incapable of having feelings and decisions. No one can judge one another. That would lead to the elimination of competition, which is the elimination of innovation. The day humans give up on revenge and deeming it unacceptable is the elimination of innovation.
Zach Pranger
12/19/2013 10:25:41 am
I agree Kayla. People should settle arguments like adults, not try to just get even like in your fine example of the boston tea party. Talking out problems is the way to go.
Adam Lindemann
12/16/2013 07:04:38 am
Revenge in itself has a negative connotation. However, it is not to be confused with justice. Revenge can be defined as the action of inflicting harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands. Justice is defined as the result of using laws to fairly judge and punish crimes and criminals. The difference between these two similar words is who decides the punishment. A good example of the two in context would be if, say you are a parent of a child who was accidentally hit and killed by a car. The driver of the car had no idea your child was in front of the car. In the sense of revenge, you would probably want to see that person killed, an eye for an eye. However, in the eyes of justice, that person would probably receive a few years in prison. There needs to be an outside factor that has no emotional ties towards the situation. They will analyze the agreed upon laws of the society and give proper punishment. In the case of manslaughter, it is the courts. If you, the parent, were to take justice into your own hands, you would have probably killed the driver, and in turn, you would get jail time yourself.
Kayla B
12/18/2013 02:43:45 am
Great examples Adam! I had never equated justice and revenge, great way to put it. I totally agree that justice should be given to those who deserve it. Revenge and justice are often put in the same category and they shouldn't be interchangeable. I really enjoyed your viewpoint.
Jess Hogan
12/18/2013 07:23:28 am
I love how you differentiated between revenge and justice. Although these two concepts are similar they are, as you said, different in the matter by whom is giving out the punishment. It's not alright to take matters into your own hands just because you feel that that person should suffer the same way your loved one did. Let the law decide what should happen to that person.
Kyle C
12/18/2013 08:51:32 am
Adam, I love how you recognized the difference between revenge and justice and how such a negative connotation comes from revenge. There are acts of justice that can be viewed as revenge in which a person goes to prison for their crime and is not killed by a person related to the victim.
Jeff H
12/18/2013 09:12:47 am
I agree with you Adam when on your thoughts of the differences between revenge and justice. Like you said a person that accidentally kills someone in a car accident won't necessarily be subject of revenge but of justice. The law will be the on that decides what is the appropriate punishment, not the victim.
Sara Ponce
12/19/2013 06:53:38 am
I completely agree with you on how people tend to confuse revenge with justice, it's so true! Your example on accidentally hitting someone with a car really backs up your point on revenge.You're right that revenge is hurting someone else or doing wrong to someone else on purpose while it is justice is a fair punishment for a wrong doing.
Brianna Guilherme
12/19/2013 10:09:20 am
Adam I like how you talked about the differences between justice and revenge. Justice should be taken for those who deserve it, especially in the example given of 9/11 but revenge was not necessarily the best answer. I agree on how you added in that the United States could have taken a different way in this situation instead of sending in troops to fight for a war that has been going on for many years. In my opinion, it is not acceptable to get revenge on someone. To avoid any possible fights or bad situations, it’s best not to seek revenge, as someone may get hurt. A California man, according to the website included in this post, tried to seek revenge on his ex-lovers. He held a porn website full of pictures across the country and the only way they got them removed was if they paid him $350. He was charged with “conspiracy, identity theft, and extortion and he will receive up to 22 years if convicted of all the counts.” This is a great example on how seeking revenge was not successful. Also with this situation being not successful, he also faces charges and will likely to be sent to prison for a long period of time. Seeking revenge to me isn't the brightest idea, no matter what type of revenge you want to give. By seeking revenge on someone, it only digs a hole; ultimately this leads to even more trouble. I would like to address that seeking revenge may feel good in the moment, but actually as a result someone gets hurt. The “feel good” moment you get during the time of the revenge makes you feel powerful and better than the other person. The “feel good” moment only lasts for a short period of time though, and therefore seeking revenge isn't acceptable.
Natalie P
12/16/2013 01:19:49 pm
I believe that under most circumstances, it is acceptable to get revenge on someone who has caused you harm. To the biggest extreme, I think if someone purposely takes a life, they deserve to get their life taken away too. The saying "an eye for an eye" definitely justifies the rational idea that if one is able to steal something as precious as a life from another, they too should suffer through the same crime they committed and get their own life stolen. For example, in 1932 the 2 year old son of famous pilot Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped out of his bedroom one night, and his corpse was later discovered in nearby woods 2 months later. The person guilty of this horrendous crime turned out to be one of Lindbergh's family friends, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, who was taken into custody and later sentenced to death. In this case, revenge is justified because it served equality. Hauptmann's life was taken just as he had taken the life of an innocent baby. It would have been unfair and unsafe to have allowed Hauptmann to continue to live with the crime he had committed, leaving chance that he could very well do it again at any given time to anyone. To the point of death, getting exactly what you give is completely acceptable. If you were to purposely take the life of another living creature, you too should get your life taken. I definitely believe that revenge is susceptible, following the idea that it is apportioned in severity to the nature of the crime. To a lesser extent, if someone were to punch me in the arm, I should be able to punch them back with equivalent strength and also in the arm in order for them to experience what they first put me through. Therefore, to an extent, if someone has caused another person extreme harm, it is acceptable to seek revenge.
Tommy B
12/18/2013 05:57:10 am
Dearest Natalia...I understand what you are saying about how people deserve to be punished for their actions but how is punishing someone who has hurt you make you any better than them? Wishing pain upon someone is never good and if you cause harm to someone who has caused harm to you they may be looking for revenge. It is a never ending cycle and until someone becomes the bigger person, it will go on forever. I know everyone wants to get revenge on someone who has hurt them, but it takes a bigger person to not want revenge and let things play out.
Ryan P (formerly known as @rpeterson19)
12/18/2013 06:03:46 am
I disagree with you Natalie, as revenge is unnecessary in most cases. Disciplinary action follows hand in hand with revenge and one's own action shouldn't interfere, as greater consequences may arise. Adding such action further intensifies the abs intentions of people and the cycle could repeat. Revenge is certainly not to be messed with.
Megan C
12/18/2013 02:20:54 pm
I partially agree with Natalie, the justice system has a way of dealing with every altercation may it be physical or not. I do not considered it revenge, more so justice (as Adam had previously pointed out). Instead of the idea that if someone punches you, that you should be able to do the same with no consequences with out getting any authority involved seems like a chaotic world would be going.
Jeff H
12/16/2013 01:27:45 pm
It is only acceptable to get revenge on those who cause you harm when the revenge you are seeking hurts no one besides that individual person or group that caused you harm to begin with. However, I believe that different types of revenge are warranted for different acts of cruelty and unkindness. For example, during the Civil Rights Movement blacks had been oppressed under the harsh Jim Crow laws in the deep south. Segregation ruled their lives and made simple existence an everyday struggle. Their revenge against all this cruelty was not to respond with more violence but to react with non-violence and peaceful measures like boycotts and sit-ins.The other type of revenge is the type that answers one evil act with another evil act. In the case of our own country's revolution we were the ones taking revenge against our mother-land of Great Britain. We we tormented by the taxation of England and decided to revolt and overthrow Britain's rule in America. In both of those cases revenge was justified. The only revenge that is acceptable is justified revenge.
Marcus
12/18/2013 07:01:06 am
I agree with jeff on the part that relates to other people who are not invloved. People who are just innocent bystanders should not be sucked into your issue with another person.
Natalie P
12/18/2013 09:11:44 am
I agree with you both Jeff and Marcus. I don't think revenge should cause any disputes between or draw in any innocent bystanders. I think justified revenge is the only reasonable and necessary type of revenge. If it is not justified, revenge can bring about even more trouble and add access problems to the situation. Therefore, I definitely agree with you guys that revenge should only be acted upon if it is justified and should only be between those who are involved.
Matthew Dogali
12/18/2013 10:06:50 am
I disagree with you. I don't believe that revenge is okay. If you hurt the person that hurt you, than you are no better than them. It becomes a cycle that can't be broken. We have to be better than those who hurt us. That's how we get justice. By not giving them power over us.
Victoria C
12/18/2013 10:12:02 am
I agree with the point you make regarding the civil rights movement. Revenge should only be acceptable if it targets only the intended target, and the way in which this is done is also very inportant. Civil rights protesters had the right idea with their peaceful protesting.
Meaghan O
12/19/2013 08:42:36 am
I agree with Jeff about involving other people. If there is a problem between two people, it is unnecessary to involve multiple people and cause more trouble. I think it is best for those two people to solve their problems om their own.
Taylor Saja
12/16/2013 04:30:43 pm
Whether or not it is acceptable to get revenge on someone who has caused you harm is subjective; it depends on the level of pain the person caused you and the situation. In a movie released in 1996, called "A Time To Kill," two white racists come across a 10-year-old African American girl named Tonya in Mississippi. They violently rape and beat Tonya then dump her in a nearby river after a failed attempt to hang her. She miraculously survives, and the men are arrested. When the lawyer handling this case admits the possibility that the rapists may walk free, Carl Lee, Tonya's father, acquires a gun, brings it to the court house, and kills the two men who brutally attacked and raped his little girl. In this occurrence, although murder is a felony crime, revenge is more than justified. During this time period, blacks were treated unfairly and the lawyer was right, if Carl Lee had not stepped in and taken their lives, those two men who raped his daughter would have most likely walked away free. Sometimes a person must take matters into their own hands, especially when family is involved. When you harm someone else's loved ones, to not receive retaliation would be a surprise. In this case specifically, Carl Lee's baby girl, Tonya, was violently raped ad nearly killed. There was no way any father would not try to seek some type of revenge on the people responsible or this heinous crime. The justification of revenge depends on the nature of the harm that took place.
Dan Trombetta
12/19/2013 05:17:08 am
I agree that the level of harm must be taken into consideration when considering whether or not revenge is acceptable. i certainly agree that crimes deserve revenge.
Sara Ponce
12/19/2013 06:57:38 am
Taylord, I agree that revenge does depend on circumstances. In the example you gave, revenge was acceptable. You proved a point, sometimes people do not get the punishment that they deserve by the law, which makes people angry and want to take matters into their own hands. In Tonya's case, the dad acted out of anger, he wanted to give Tonya some justice since the court did not.
Victoria C
12/17/2013 08:27:19 am
Everyone has moments or will reach a point in which they become so angry at someone or something in which they feel they must retaliate. This is a natural reaction everyone experiences. In most cases, I don't think revenge is acceptable, but mostly, it just isn't necessary. The best revenge is to just turn the other way and move on. This shows that you do not need to stoop so low to the other person's level, and that you can be the bigger person. It is completely pointless and rarely successful. This can be especially related to adolescents going through school and adults in the workplace. Things such as relationships, arguments, unfairness, and more can trigger a desire to get revenge, but doing so would not get you anywhere. Nobody will be in high school or with their classmates forever. Seeking revenge in the workplace will only add tension and stress to it. Revenge will only make you feel better temporarily.
Taylor Saja
12/18/2013 03:14:55 am
Victoria, I agree with your point on the fact that revenge will only make you feel better temporarily, it will not get rid of the damage done in the first place. Although I do believe revenge is acceptable in some cases, being the bigger, more mature person is definitely more beneficial opposed to stooping to a lower level and retaliating.
Mackenzie M
12/19/2013 11:59:28 am
I agree that revenge does not help anything because the feeling it gives you is temporary. It is better to just look the other way, especially if someone does something just to get a reaction out of you.
Jess Hogan
12/17/2013 09:19:56 am
Most of the time revenge is pointless. It may bring you satisfaction at first, but then you may regret it later. So revenge is not a good way to get back at someone. An extreme example of revenge could be the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic bomb was a way for America to get back at the Japanese for launching a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Although, maybe a surprise atomic bombing was not the smartest idea, it did end the war. The bomb caused nearly 80,000 deaths and another 70,000 injuries. Not only did the bomb cause immediate damage, but it caused lasting damage too; Japan had to reconstruct many buildings and the generations born after the atomic bombing had high rates of mutation, which clearly affected their lives. It’s sad to think that all of this destruction and death stems from revenge. Sure, Americans wanted to get back at the Japanese, but they could have done it in a more productive way, rather than just dropping a bomb and hoping it would solve their problem. For this reason, I believe that revenge is unnecessary when taken to these lengths.
Kerstin E
12/19/2013 09:37:59 am
I agree that revenge is pointless. I think revenge can be taken way too far in some cases. In the end, the effects were not worth it which just made matters worse.
Dan Trombetta
12/17/2013 11:35:48 am
Although contradicting moral norms, I believe that revenge is acceptable. The effects, however, should not be as much to benefit the initial victim but rather to teach the offender a lesson. Much like the Buddhist idea 'karma' which can be summarized as "what goes around comes around" I believe it's appropriate for those who commit negative acts to receive punishment. This way they can learn from their mistakes. A case where this sort of revenge is in biblical times when the punishment rules were "an eye for an eye" Anyone who stole would get his hands cut off, anyone who killed would be killed, and so on. This form of punishment allowed not only for those initially offended to receive some level of closure, but also would definitely prevent the offender to commit the same crime again. In addition, by leaving the revenge to the government as an unbiased third party the victim would thus be unable to get "too much revenge". In today's culture, it's common for the offended individual to overreact and inflict more harm than deserved on his offender. Thus, allowing a third party to deal with it is still just as effective and unbiased which makes it very acceptable.
Lizz
12/17/2013 02:13:16 pm
Strangely enough, the actions that are deemed acceptable are not always those morally correct, subjectively speaking of course. Revenge is in fact acceptable. In most cultures, it is even expected and encouraged. Revenge, in layman's terms, is punishment to someone who has acted personally offensive toward another. But more complexly, revenge is the defense of pride. So of course it's acceptable. Our pride is, typically, sociologically connected to our acceptance. And all of this is great, though I don't believe that acceptance equates to justification. I always find the word choice of these prompts quite curious, but I digress. I haven't an example of justified revenge. I believe that if the revenge is justified, it ceases to be revenge; that's justice. Story time: You publicly fight someone clearly stronger than you because you're an idiot. You lose and now you hate the other person for humiliating you. They own a restaurant and you decide to get rats into the kitchen and report a health code violation resulting in a temporary shut down and many lost customers. You sure showed them, didn't ya? Next story: You are attacked by someone and seriously injured. You sue and this other person has to pay your various medical bills. Hurrah! You weren't held accountable for something that wasn't your fault. There exists a painfully massive grey area in differentiating between justice and revenge, but in the end, revenge is not justified, similarly to many widely accepted behaviors.
Nick K
12/19/2013 01:52:56 am
I agree with Lizz. i like the part about how revenge is encouraged in some cultures. i think that the american culture is one of those that encourages revenge. but also Hammurabi's code, an eye-for-an-eye. revenge was the law, it was what dictated society and kept men in line.
Megan V
12/18/2013 05:26:27 am
Everybody has wanted revenge at some point in their lives. The question is, is it acceptable? I believe to certain extents it is, however, I also believe that there is always another way to solve a situation. For example, if someone was to come up to you at school and shout mean words towards you or even physically punch you, you’re natural reaction would be to fight back. I believe that fighting back is a form of self respect but I also believe that it takes a stronger person to not fight back. In this case, the person who fought u doesn’t win; it’s the person who didn’t fight back because it took every ounce of them not too. And what happens when that person does decided to fight back? Both end up suspended even though one may have caused it. Many people consider the public when seeking for revenge. They do what the others want them to do or try to show how tough they are. I don’t think that revenge is worth it because I truly believe that karma always comes around. Once you fight back, it’s a constant circle that goes round and round and never ends. It’s better to stop it before it starts. I believe in the saying “when you fight fire with fire, you just get a bigger flame.” It is true; it just becomes a bigger problem until it can’t be burned out anymore.
Casey S.
12/19/2013 01:49:41 am
Megan, I completely agree with you that it takes a stronger person to not fight back. In my opinion, a person who doesn't stoop to the level of the bully shows much more maturity and strength and shows how much better that person really is.
Becky G
12/19/2013 05:07:48 am
I have to agree with you, Megan. I do believe that if someone were to come up to me and start punching me, i would at least defend myself. Although i don't think i would consider that necessarily 'revenge', i would call that more of 'self defense'. And i also agree with you that when you fight fire with fire you get a bigger flame, because it is true. I think if one person just stops the revenge seeking, or both parties talk it out, then everything would be fine, and there would be less problems to worry about. Thinking of revenge causes stress, and a lot of it. And it is not good for our bodies to have a lot of stress.
Sarah W
12/19/2013 08:52:46 am
Megan, I like your example of the school fight. The bigger person is the one who is more mature and responsible towards the situation. I also agree with you when you say revenge has an extent.
Tommy B
12/18/2013 05:43:50 am
Some people strongly believe that if someone causes you harm, revenge must be served and must be served quickly. I, on the other hand, believe that if someone really did something wrong that seriously hurt someone physically or emotionally and they did it on purpose, will get punished in their own way. I am talking about KARMA. I believe in karma and think that people will get punished in some way after they do something wrong. I believe in the other side just as much, though. If someone is hurt, they will be reimbursed and their troubles will be resolved in some way. For example, I believe that the people who win the lottery win it because they have had something happen to them or may be in need of money later in life. The people that lost lives of loved ones or have had things stolen from them, they may have a miracle happen to them or something in life life will change for the better. When people that have been hurt try to take matters in their own hands, they place a bad karma on themselves. It is not worth hurting someone who has hurt you because you will just be in the same boat they were in and someone will be looking to get revenge against you. I think that people that sue end up with less than what people get when they don't sue. They try to get revenge for what has happened and yes, they may come away with some money, but what if something were to happen if you chose not to sue? Something priceless. People may say that everyone deserves to get revenge but in my opinion, revenge will happen one way or another. It might punish someone else or it may help you in some way. You never know what karma will do for you but at the same time, you never know what karma might do to you.
Dilsara L
12/19/2013 06:06:47 am
I agree with you Tommy with the fact that people who hurt you will get the karma that they deserve. So not getting revenge in that case is the best way to go when dealing with a bad situation.
@rpeterson19 <---------- FOLLOW
12/18/2013 05:50:43 am
It is not acceptable to get revenge on someone who has caused you harm even during extreme cases. Revenge, in my eyes, will do nothing but stir up more trouble. The feelings of each person usually become intensified and already flared tempers and intentions escalate to a higher caliber of rage. Also, if the committed revenge is at a harsh enough level, action will be taken in order to nullify these occurrences. In some cases, revenge is revenged by the enforcement of the law, and the person guilty of committing this act of revenge will be disciplined in one way or another. Contradictory action even takes place in cases where the revenge was less severe, as karma, which I believe exists, will come onto play and effect the guilty person adequately and as necessary. For example, when a murder is committed, which usually happens due to the quest for revenge, the guilty person is disciplined, They are put in jail for an extended period of time, and in some cases, even executed. If by some reason they escape the law and aren't disciplined by their actions, they live a life of fear, as paranoia due the presence of people in general consume their mindset. Also, karma will eventually catch up with the person who has committed this act and discipline them ass needed. Revenge in general does more bad than good, as many times, it ends up worse than before more times than none.
Marcus
12/18/2013 06:59:31 am
I believe that it is ok to get revenge in certain situations. Things that are so small that it isn’t even worth talking about could be seen as unnecessary though. I believe in the eye for an eye approach in that if someone does something to you they deserve for something equally as detrimental to happen to them. Using sports as an example, if a team were to run up the score on us even though it was unnecessary for them to do so, I would do the exact same thing to them if we ended up on the other side of the spectrum. It is a personal vendetta that is solved between the two parties involved. The legal system could be used as well when it comes to Capital Punishment. Depending upon the severity of the crime it could be punishable by execution. Things that are solved between the two parties I think can be seen as acceptable, one person getting revenge on another. If it will affect people who were not even involved then I do not think that it would be justified.
Delaney D
12/19/2013 01:55:02 am
I completely agree with Marcus. Revenge is only alright in certain situations. I also agree that when sneaking revenge on someone, you should be the only person involved. There is never a reason to get more people involved than necessary.
Chris V
12/19/2013 07:16:02 am
I agree with Marcus in saying that depending on the situation revenge should be taken. If it is something so little there is no point but as it progresses in seriousness revenge is acceptable.
Kyle C
12/18/2013 08:49:03 am
I truly believe that revenge can be warranted and it depends on the person spins revenge. I believe that revenge has such a negative connotation of someone physically hurting someone who did something to them. However, revenge can be on an emotional level as well. There have been numerous examples in which someone will commit a crime so bad that some people think revenge is justifiable to either kill or harm that person. That is not the case, but if a crime is committed and someone wants to seek revenge, they can help out the justice system and make them suffer in jail. Jerry Sandusky is an example in which he molested little children and I bet many of those fathers or mothers would have liked to kill the man themselves, however they were smart and followed our legal system in which Sandusky was put in jail for the rest of his life. Sometimes death is actually the easy way out, and a life in prison where everyday the person who committed the crime must sit there and think can be the revenge and justice the victim and/or families are looking for.
Kevin L
12/19/2013 01:03:41 pm
That's a good way to put that death is sometimes the easy way out. when people do things that are so bad that people would do anything to torture them like sandusky, all they wanna do is end it. however in that case, jail for the rest of his life is truly the best revenge and payback.
Matthew Dogali
12/18/2013 10:05:08 am
I believe that revenge is never acceptable, because it causes more harm than good. People who get hurt feel that justice needs to be served, but they cannot create their own justice. People need to understand that it by responding to someone’s wrong doing, they are no better than the other person. This is a hard concept to understand because society as a whole is very emotional and let their feelings overcome their thought process. But by stepping back and letting clearer minds prevail, the world would be better off. The best example of this is the civil rights movement. The blacks at the time were treated terribly, but they couldn’t react. If they fought back it would give power to the whites that were trying to keep them oppressed. So they kept calm and peacefully protested and eventually they made change. If they fought back, the whites would have won. They would be acting the way everyone expected them to. The ironic part of all this is that fighting back was the right thing to do. The whites at the time disserved revenge, but it wouldn’t have helped. I hate to be cliché but I truly believe that an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. We need to be the bigger person and believe that karma will get those who hurt us.
Lindemann, Adam
12/19/2013 09:05:00 am
I completly agree wih you on the point that people cannot create their own justice. People in society need to understand that justice cannot be served by the people hurt, it causes blurred judgement. Unless it is a case such as Sir Marcus of Estevez brought up, in which the revenge doesnt actually harm anyone. I suppose my mind set was on theft and harm.
Eric J
12/19/2013 11:55:10 am
I completely agree Matt. Taking a step back to further analyze the situation before some irrational actions is made is the best way to go about it.
Steven P
12/19/2013 12:14:11 pm
I agree Matt but I also believe that sometimes you cannot just let people walk all over you and that you must stand up for yourself or else you will be continually treated like this.
Josh T.
12/18/2013 11:26:52 am
Revenge in the sense of a physical or emotional attack is not acceptable. By not letting that person get to you, you have won. It is the hardest concept for humans to understand, but it is true. Some of the greatest people are those who have been put down, but instead of seeking revenge they try to better the world. Nelson Mandela could have gotten revenge when becoming president, and put down all those who had put down the black community, but why would he do that? Instead he made everyone equal to show that he, and they, were better than that. He got his revenge by doing something that everyone thought was impossible, ending the apartheid. There is no point in causing someone physical or emotional harm, even if they have done so to you. You shouldn't seek revenge, because by doing so you drive yourself bad by trying to get someone back. There are things that are done that don't seem fair and you would demand for some sort of revenge, but it isn't worth it. Instead of having everyone wanting revenge practice making the world a better place, so that won't happen to someone else, and show everyone that there is no reason for revenge. All it takes is one person to start practicing that, and others will follow. Revenge is greed, and that is why it will always fail. Hitler wanted to seek revenge on the countries which had in his mind unjustly put Germany in the lowest economic state, and destroyed them. He was a power savvy leader who wanted to show everyone that he and Germany were the most powerful. His greed his fueled desire of revenge, and when he realized that he couldn't win he committed suicide. Revenge and greed feed off of each other. Revenge is usually a greed filled anger and wanting to even the score. Why is it people would want to seek revenge? Is it because they have taken something from you? Probably. Someone doesn't need revenge, they want it. Revenge is not a necessity, so imagine instead of having people always seeking revenge, you had people who tried to better the world so no one would have to go through that same pain. That seems a lot more important that you trying to make someone's life even worse. The world would be a better place if we stopped seeking revenge. Instead of going down to someone else's level to "even the score", how about you raise yours.
Aaron Bullivant
12/18/2013 01:03:32 pm
The want and need for revenge seems to be an emotion that is en grained in humans. So in that aspect there is nothing very wrong about the want for revenge on a person due to their actions. It is more so the degree of revenge that you take upon that person. If you feel the need to get someone back for embarrassing you by doing the same to them that may not seem bad to you but it could have bigger effects than what you had originally intended for. Not only can there be side effects of revenge that you don’t think about. The person that wants revenge on someone can take it many different ways. You could have someone like batman that wants revenge on people for killing his parents, and he gets that revenge by beating people senseless in order to protect everyone else. Sure he will eventually find the people that killed his parents but in the process he beats and kills many people just so he can fell that justice has been brought upon them. Revenge can be a good thing but it all depends on how far the person is willing to go to get the revenge that they desire. So I guess I am in the middle, revenge can be a good or bad thing; it all depends on what is done to get the revenge that the person desires.
Taylor D
12/19/2013 06:47:05 am
I agree with you Aaron what most people feel that want to get the revenge and depending on the person and the situation the revenge could be more severe then others. I also am in the middle of how I feel about revenge, but I think that the person who is upset and wants to get revenge has to do it only by accepting what happened or they will never be satisfied with the outcome of the revenge.
Clara M
12/19/2013 10:17:06 am
I agree with you Dib. The degree of revenge is something that tells us if it is bad or not. Small forms of revenge are acceptable to us because they fall into the norm of society, like what any of us what do in that circumstance. That doesn't make it right but just more acceptable based on our norms.
Joe V
12/19/2013 02:13:34 pm
Aaron, I completely agree with your statement that all humans will seek revenge at some point. However, I completely disagree with your assertion about the Batman. It seems like you don't truly approve of his actions and are incorrectly perceiving his intentions. The bat does indeed want revenge for the death of his parents, but has realized that that is not important anymore. He is, with good intentions, simply aiming to protect whatever city it is he lives in. When he fights this crime, it is not uncalled for. Rather, Batman only will help a situation if he is needed. The bad guys are the ones who call him, as he will not randomly go and fight those guys unless they're messing up the flow of the city. So, Aaron, rethink your entire life and watch Batman again while you do it.
Megan C
12/18/2013 02:13:15 pm
When someone purposely harms someone for his or her own personal enjoyment, that action should be taken, NOT revenge. I do not think anyone should rebuttal it with another physical blow. I don’t think fighting is ever the answer and I have been brought up in a household where there is always a better solution than fighting. Rather than have “an eye for and eye” I believe that it is better to think of it more as there will be an equal and opposite reaction. The law has been worked out so that any physical altercation has an adequate way of being handled. Rather than claiming self-defense and risk having words twisted, have to law take care of it. Even though others may think that it is not equal, the actions that the victim took will surpass say the final punch being thrown. Going on records, having community service, being detained, restraining orders, all will give more benefit to the party that has been attacked. I would not like to call it revenge for that person, but it is much more subtle and more effective than physical revenge. In the end this way of taking care of an altercation would work out in the end for both parties, one would have the satisfaction of physically hurting someone and the other know that there would be an even worse outcome if the attacker were to try anything again. All with the protection of the law; I think that revenge is not called for, but everything can be handled legally rather than physically hurting a human.
Sedyra
12/19/2013 12:01:02 pm
I agree with Megan. I think she is right in the fact that it is not right for someone to seek revenge out. Revenge does not help in anyway and is not right. I also agree with the statement that the law can help justify things rather than seek revenge. It is twisted and wrong to seek revenge and hurt someone in the way they hurt you. It shows that you are not over it. The past is the past and it should stay there. If it is constantly revisited than you will never be able to move on with your life. Seeking revenge just acts as a road block in life. I think to fully move on from a circumstance the person must move on and justify it.
Kevin King
12/19/2013 12:23:53 am
Revenge is the fruit of human competition. Revenge may be a devious and sometimes demeaning process, but it separates the strong from the weak. In 1859, Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution defined that those not fit for society who could not survive would wither. In today’s society, revenge allows society to decipher those who are “not fit” to lead. Those who must resort to a technique like revenge are “not fit” to become prosperous members of society, but those who know how to maintain their feelings may. Nelson Mandela, serves as a renowned world figure because when he certainly had the ability to exact revenge on others, he did not. As the leader of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, he most definitely had the power to exact revenge on his enemies. However, he did not. His aggressors had the same ability to not exact revenge on him, but they are not the strong member of society that he developed into. They stooped to revenge while Mandela glided above it.
Casey S.
12/19/2013 01:47:42 am
I believe that in some forms revenge is acceptable. In my opinion, revenge for a death of someone is rather pointless. Even if you do harm to the person that has caused you so much sadness, it still does not bring back the person that you lost. In the case of loosing a loved one, the best form to heal yourself, is to move on and remember the life of that person. However, in some petty cases revenge could be the best way to teach a person a lesson. For example, Alan Ralsky was a Michigan entrepreneur who found out a way to send bulk spam e-mail to millions of people everyday. After being outed for what he was doing in a newspaper, people found out his home address and signed him up to receive junk mail from numerous sites on the internet. Ralsky's home then started to receive thousands of junk mail in his mailbox everyday. In 2009, Ralsky pleaded guilty to fraud for a penny stock manipulation scheme and received a 51 month prison sentence. No one, including me enjoys getting spam e-mail, and some people in 2003 just had enough. No one was hurt in the matter, and justice towards Ralsky was served.
Nick K
12/19/2013 01:48:42 am
Revenge is a dish best served lukewarm with a side of mashed potatoes. It is delicious and well deserving. forgiveness may only be accepted if revenge has been dealt. when the Japanese attacked pearl harbor the only thing on the minds of Americans was revenge. "They attacked our soil, they hurt our men and women, they must pay for there actions." many young men seeking revenge enlisted and gave there support to the country that they were willing to die for. when we finally were able to destroy japan in all of her glory, it was over. the long standing relationship between the US and japan has enabled us to prosper and develop many new technologies and help the world become a more technological masterpiece. after the mushroom clouds cleared, peace and prosperity was birthed from the flames of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. once at war, two nations came together and became equal after revenge settled the score.
Mrs. Elbakry
12/19/2013 05:05:05 am
Poetic, Nick.
Delaney D
12/19/2013 01:52:20 am
Revenge is a very touchy subject. Some times I feel that revenge is never okay, and you should simply let the person who did you wrong get their karma. However, I think that occasionally revenge is alright to get on someone, but only if it is in a controlled situation and the person does not die. I do not think that anyone should kill someone else for something that person did, but getting revenge in a smart and concise way is acceptable. One instance where revenge would be justifiable would be if someone hurt me or my family. I think that in the situation when people you love are in danger, revenge is both necessary and warranted. Another instance when revenge would be alright would be if someone emotionally hurt you. Emotional pain can be worse than physical pain and is something that no one should have to deal with for no reason, there by warranting revenge to take action.
Becky G
12/19/2013 05:01:04 am
If someone has done harm to you, whether it be physically or emotionally, it is not necessary to "get even" and seek revenge on them. I think to be the better person in a given situation, one should not fuel the fire even more, but forget about it and walk away from the problem. If everyone was a revenge seeker, the whole world would be chaos because after someone gets revenge on someone else, that person is just going to fire back with more revenge, and it will just be an ongoing cycle of people fighting each other for revenge. Getting revenge doesn't make you a better person, it doesn't change anything, at all. For example, if your boyfriend/girlfriend cheated on you, and you went out and cheated on them for revenge, nothing is going to change, those two situations aren't going to 'cancel each other out'. People think that getting revenge will make things even, when in reality, it makes things worse. Confucious once said, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves". From these wise words, it is understood that before you go out and get revenge on someone, remember that it could just as easily work against you. So even if someone tried to get revenge, it could just backfire on them. I think instead of seeking revenge for someone who has done harm to you, that you should just wait it out and watch their karma catch up to them.
Mrs. Elbakry
12/19/2013 05:12:15 am
Great addition of the Confucius quotation, Becky. It worked very well to back up your argument.
Danny B
12/19/2013 11:56:09 am
I agree with you Becky. The point you made about the world being in chaos if everyone looked for revenge was good. That Confucius quote was perfection though, it worked very well to back up your argument.
Dilsara L
12/19/2013 06:04:58 am
I believe that getting revenge is only okay in certain situations and in other situations you should just let the person get the karma they deserve. It all depends on the severity of the problem. For example if someone were to harm one of your family members revenge would be justifiable because it's someone messing with the people that you love. But if it's over something stupid like wanting to get revenge because someone embarrassed you or made fun of you, it is not worth it. If you were to get into a physical fight in school just because someone said something to make you mad, the outcome would be you both getting suspended. What's the point in getting revenge when all you got in return was getting in trouble? I strongly believe in the saying "what goes around comes back', so those people that caused you some type of sadness or anger will get what they deserve in time.
Kaleigh B
12/19/2013 12:36:30 pm
Dilsara I agree. Revenge is a hard topic to discuss because no individual can really identify if revenge is a want or a need, in your case you classified revenge use in different analogies. Messing with a family is wrong and I would seek revenge as well, but what would be the deserving revenge? On an episode of Law and Order SVU detective Olivia Bensen, goes through days of torture, being exposed to a series of rapes and murders by the rapist who is holding her captive. Once Bensen is finally free and has the gun in her hand she is left with the option of revenge: kill the rapist, or wait until the cops come to take him away to jail. She chooses not to kill him, but retaliates and beat the rapist up until he is left unconscious. Well her revenge works out for her due no witnesses . Did the awful man deserve the beating from Olivia? you never know revenge is tricky like that
Taylor D
12/19/2013 06:42:15 am
Not that revenge is acceptable but sometimes it does feel good for the moment it happens or while it is happening but 99% of the time holds no value after the fact. It might feel nice to get revenge on someone but that is usually and almost always short lived, revenge is a temporary bandage for the issues itself. Even after revenge you will still have the emotional distress of the situation, if you never forgive and forget you will only be causing yourself pain. Revenge seems to be justified to the person who wants revenge but it is always a person opinion making the justification. Revenge solves nothing in the larger scheme of things, getting back or getting even is never and effective approach because it doesn't change what happened to make a person angry and make them want to get revenge. In history or in movies we can see how revenge plays out, someone feels that they were jipped for some reason and want to get back in the process of getting back they destroy themselves. The person taking revenge never comes out on top they usually end up six feet under.
Chris V
12/19/2013 07:12:46 am
I do believe it is acceptable to seek revenge on someone who has caused harm. I believe it is the first response and thought when someone harms you. As a child if you were hit you would hit back, it was just the way it worked. As Thomas Hobbes stated humans are evil by nature and will look for revenge. On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked at Pearl Harbor and brought the US into WWII. The immediate response for the US was to seek revenge on Japan for the lives they took. In retaliation, Japan was hit with two atomic bombs that destroyed the country. The common expression "an eye for an eye" went into action when determining what form of revenge the US would take. Looking back on this retaliation it might seem a bit drastic but at the time it was what needed to be done. What revenge you take on someone is left up to opinion but it is needed to send a message that whatever they did to you is not okay.
Sara Ponce
12/19/2013 07:41:54 am
I do not think it is acceptable to get revenge on someone who has caused you harm. I think if it was, there would be chaos and turn people into wild savages. The government's main purpose is to protect us. therefore, it is up to the government to serve justice for those who have done wrong. There is a strong difference between revenge, and justice. Revenge causes a never ending cycle of harm and wrong doings that don't change what happened. While justice is giving a fair punishment to a wrong doing. For example, if a teenager kills another teen and the parent's of the dead teen kill the other teen out of anger and grief, they are killing someone else's baby. The parents of the other teen will then get angry and feel just the same. It then becomes a cycle of wanting to "get even" while in reality things just get worse. There is no point to the on going wrongs because nothing can be undone, only learned from. Instead the teen should just be punished, he should be sentenced to jail. Revenge is immoral which is why the death penalty has been abolished in most states. Harming someone because they harmed you is easy. It is easier to be dead than having to sit and think about what you have done for the rest of your life. Being sentenced to jail for committing a murder a fair punishment. Nelson Mandela was unfairly imprisoned for over 27 years. He did not disrespect or hate those who sent him there or the guards. He did not seek revenge against them, instead he forgave them and treated them like he treated everyone else. They had to live with the guilt and their conscious of what they did wrong to someone so innocent. Through this Mandela became a figure of peace. Peace can come out of justice, but not revenge.
Sarah W
12/19/2013 08:50:25 am
Socially, I don't believe it is acceptable to get revenge. Mentally, I do believe that some act must be taken to get even. This is in minor cases of course though, I don’t think its right to take someones life if they have taken a relative or friends of yours life. I think it’s okay to get revenge in a manageable way. An okay way to get revenge may be to think out something in your mind, but never take action to it. You can feel relieved that you've done something. In this case, no one was hurt, but you're now satisfied. You are no better of a person for getting back at someone because two wrongs don't make a right. The person who did something to you should know they did something wrong. Revenge can be justified, but I could never see it as complete allowed. By all means it’s fine to have a reason for what you have done to get back at someone, but in today's culture to be seen as the norm, physical revenge is not acceptable.
Meaghan O
12/19/2013 09:12:34 am
I believe that sometimes revenge is okay based on the situation. There are several times when revenge is not okay. If you want revenge for something stupid that you won't remember the next day, then it's not okay. Also, revenge is not okay if it's something you may regret or it will potentially harm innocent people. I think a lot of times, when something first happens, people will do things in the heat of the moment to get revenge. This is how bridges are burned and sometimes so much damage is done in a situation that could have easily been fixed. The decisions we make when we are angry are not always the best ones. In the end of The Great Gatsby, George thinks he is getting revenge on Gatsby for killing his wife. What George doesn't know is that Gatsby wasn't the one who killed his wife. This revenge was unjusitified and someone was punished for an act they did not commit. I think karma is the univerise's revenge. Sometimes when you are wronged by someone, it is best to be the bigger person and move on. You have to believe that if this person wrongfully hurt you, karma will eventually catch up with them.
Clara M
12/19/2013 09:13:39 am
I believe that revenge has a negative connotation. The question whether it is acceptable or not is completely up to perspective. Someone who has no reason for revenge might just say that it is not acceptable in any circumstance. But someone who has been done wrong might think the worst form of it is what the other deserves. Revenge can be in the simplest or the most severe forms and most of us see revenge backfired like in historical and movie sequences. What we don't realize is that a lot of the revenge that happens we don't even know about. The simplest thing can be taken as so and may not be caught. Revenge should be an obviously known wrong but the fact that some people can getaway with it so easily shows us that some forms of it are okay. Even though none of it should be tolerated. I think some of people's ideas of what they consider revenge and just plain "messing around" should be changed.
Kerstin E
12/19/2013 09:39:51 am
I don’t think revenge is ever acceptable. There are other ways to deal with situations other than trying to get back at someone. In 2001, terrorists took down the twin towers. The U.S. decided to get revenge on this 9/11 attack. We invaded the Middle East and a war began. Although this may have seemed like a success at first, we now know this revenge failed. We are still at war and the revenge has not gotten us anywhere. Revenge will never solve your problems. Talking it out and making agreements are much more effective. Most people rely on revenge because it is the easiest thing to do even if it’s not the smartest. 12/19/2013 09:58:51 am
In my opinion, revenge is never the answer. Although a person may think that revenge will help them feel better about the situation it will end up biting them in the butt later in life. Revenge, in many cases, may seem like the right thing to do at the time and a person may feel better about themselves for getting revenge but that feeling will wear off. The person may then feel worse for getting revenge and then karma will come back at them and hurt them. In the end, revenge is never good. If two or more people have an argument they should act like adults and talk about the situation and come to an agreement instead of fighting with each other over and over again. A case where revenge ended badly was the Lorena Bobbitt vs John Bobbitt in 1993. Lorena was tired of her husband's abuse towards her so during the night while he was sleeping she grabbed a knife, cut off his penis, and then drove away from the house in the car and threw it out the window. Although the police found it for him and surgically attached it they still went to court. She was found not guilty due to guilty due to insanity but because of this revenge her and her husband got a divorce. If Lorena just talked to her husband about the situation or even went to the police about the physical abuse she was receiving then she never would have had to go to court and almost be found guilty.
Aaron Bullivant
12/19/2013 11:02:39 am
I totally agree Delaney. Revenge can be a very touchy subject. most of the time it may be best for people to just surpass there need for revenge and just let karma take over. But at the same time we can be a society that craves any kind of revenge that we can get. it tends to be that when we feel personally harmed by someones action that we feel that there is a greater need for revenge. we just need to make sure that when someone feels the need for revenge on someone else, there is no death involved. revenge is can be good at times but it can also be very bad.
Colleen I
12/19/2013 11:46:52 am
Revenge is justifiable in some cases, but not all. Also, revenge should be used as a last resort. Revenge should be utilized if a lesson needs to be taught and it is by putting the other in your shoes. A lot of times, communication and understanding improves by the other person seeing what you see, the way you see it. For example, if someone hurts you emotionally by saying something, you should say something back. That way, the person would understand how and why it hurts. However revenge shouldn't be used in cases like robery. Most if the time, people rob to get stuff to sell and use that money to get drugs. So if their possessions were stolen, it wouldn't have the same effect on them. As long as revenge isn't physically hurting, it is justifiable.
Danny B
12/19/2013 11:47:58 am
In my opinion revenge is never justified. I believe revenge is always in the wrong, no matter what the circumstance. For example, Napoleon tried to take revenge on the people who had banished him to an island. However, after being defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, he was forced to once again be exiled to another island. This time the island was smaller and he was forced to live a life of loneliness. If Napoleon had remained on his first island, he would have lived a happier end of his days. However, he decided to try and take revenge. This revenge didn't work and ended him up in a worse situation. If everyone in the world didn't attempt to get revenge on others, than everyone would be happier. They would be able to get on with their lives instead of holding on to petty grudges against others.
Mackenzie M
12/19/2013 11:52:53 am
Revenge is usually not justified. Trying to get revenge just escalates the situation. If someone has been hurt, in order to get revenge they must then do something bad to another. Revenge is more often than not done without thinking about the consequences because it is done out of anger. Sometimes it can turn into a viscous cycle that can get out of control. One of the most famous historical cases of revenge was the Holocaust, even though most people don't realize its basis. When Germany plummeted into turmoil, the citizens were looking for someone to blame. Hitler gave them a very large group to blame for their problems, anyone who was Jewish or had a Jewish background. Out of their thirst for revenge, many Germans allowed for the imprisonment, murder, and torture of millions of innocent people. Usually revenge is not that extreme, but it does always hurt more people than it helps.
Eric J
12/19/2013 11:53:22 am
Revenge is never justified. The old saying that two wrongs don't make a right is completely true. If everybody got revenge on some then when would the cycle stop.Once they get their revenge on that person the other person might think it is ok to get revenge back and the cycle can continue forever. Justice on the other hand is different. Whether or not a murdered should get life in prison isn't revenge that is justice and getting what was coming for them. One example of when people did not take revenge is the civil rights movement. The black people would get treated horribly but then knew that if they were to respond violently and get revenge it would in the end wouldn't go their way. Instead the blacks would just do peaceful protest and do things that are legal but not accepted by the white society. This approach ended up working for them in the end after many years of doing this. This caused minimal damage and still got the point across proving that revenge isn't justified.
Sedyra Nieves
12/19/2013 11:54:44 am
I think that it is not acceptable to get revenge on someone who has caused you harm. I feel that things should be kept in the past and not revisited. It is however acceptable to seek justice for the harm caused to you. For example if someone murdered your parents I feel that justice should be served and the person should be put away. If the person were to seek revenge it would not make it right. I strongly believe in the saying “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind”. I think if someone’s brother was killed and they go and kill the person revenge was not truly successful because it did not bring the person’s brother back. It is a never ending cycle of violence and changes nothing. However if that person is put in jail they will forever have to think about the life that they took. This would at least stop a cycle of violence for a period of time. This would allow families time to heal and move on and would prove more effective.
Steven P
12/19/2013 12:11:55 pm
I believe it is acceptable to get revenge on someone who has caused you harm in most situations. If it is a little thing that then most of the time it is not worth wasting your time on that person trying to make them feel how they made you feel. But if what the person or group has done to you has serious effects then it is definitely worth getting revenge on them. In situations such as terrorist attacks we can not just sit back and allow that to happen without doing something about it. You must stick up for yourself in some situations and not allow people to walk all over you. It all depends on the severity of the situation.
Kaleigh
12/19/2013 12:19:11 pm
I would like to say that revenge is bad because there is always karma involved. I would also like to say that revenge is the sweetest thing you will ever taste, to know that you got back at a person that has caused you harm in any shape or form, but it isn’t. Revenge is a vicious cycle that the doesn’t know how to stop once it starts. Revenge is also a set up for failure. A personal example would be the time I was four years old at day care, and had the little girl in front of me who decided she didn’t want to move. Apparently this girl didn’t like the way I was talking to her and turned around and wiped her boogers on me. Looking back at it now it was probably the worst case possible to handle what she had just done, but at the time revenge felt so right, and I retaliated by taking her arm and biting it. Sweet revenge it was, the girl cry, as she should! She wiped her boogers on me, that is immoral! Nevertheless my mom was called to come pick me up and I wasn’t allowed to leave until I told the immoral girl I was sorry. The karma had caught up to me, proving my revenge was unsuccessful, due to the fact I had to tell the snotty little girl I was sorry for not making her cry, but what she rightfully deserved in response to whipping her green boogers on me, and biting her. Being told to say sorry doesn't seem like much, but at four it was, it took away your pride. What I didn't realize at such an immature age was I had lost my pride by seeking revenge and biting the little girl.
Kevin L
12/19/2013 12:54:21 pm
In my opinion, i believe that revenge is a good thing. Just like the old saying, an eye for an eye. i believe that everyone should be even. What makes someone so special to get away with something they did with a slap on the wrist? Say i steal something personal from someone with no value and don't get in trouble with the law. How is that even in anyway if the person's belonging that may have meant more to them than it was worth is gone? A real world example is if President Bush wanted to attack Iraq in revenge for Sadam's threat to kill the president's father, former president Bush. well no one could really prove this theory right but a lot of evidence led to it. However it shows that at all levels of problems, revenge takes place and it it part of the human nature.
Joe V
12/19/2013 02:04:48 pm
Everyone has experienced a time when they have desired revenge. This desire can be triggered by almost anything that wrongs an individual, from something minor like someone getting their pen stolen in class to something major like the murder of a loved one. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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English 12 HPlease respond to the question in at least 10 sentences AND comment on another classmate's response. You can certainly disagree, but BE RESPECTFUL of the opinions/feelings of your classmates. Archives
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