Have you ever wanted to \u201cpay someone back\u201d after an unpleasant or hurtful comment or argument, or wanted to \u201csettle the score\u201d after a friend breaks your trust or betrays your confidence?
I bet there aren\u2019t many of us who are blameless. You probably can\u2019t honestly say that you have never harbored thoughts of getting even with someone who has done you wrong. I would imagine that if the truth be told, most people respond to a real or perceived hurt or slight with some desire to retaliate. Thankfully, most people do it through thoughts alone \u2014 but a few retaliate with action, delivering revenge on the offender either physically or through a carefully thought-out plan. The desire for revenge is common to everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is that? The obvious answer is that it makes us feel better, but from what I\u2019ve read, psychologists say that we are acting in response to our emotions when it come to seeking revenge \u2014 and \u2014 the primary motivation for seeking retribution is either anger or fear. I always just assumed anger was the motivation \u2014 I really hadn\u2019t considered fear, but if you think about it, it makes some sense. We all \u2014 especially men \u2014 have a fear of \u201closing face.\u201d If you let someone cut you off in traffic, or step in front of you in line without some sign of resistance, you think you\u2019ll be seen, or maybe worse \u2014 perceive yourself, as feeble or a pushover in some way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We all know how petty-minded, or even mean spirited it is to want revenge \u2014 but \u2014 we also know how satisfying it is to even the score.
So why don\u2019t we just \u201cturn the other cheek\u201d rather than seek revenge? I don\u2019t think forgiveness comes naturally to us humans. We tend to want to get even because that\u2019s only fair \u2014 kind of like restoring the natural order of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But anyhow, revenge has been around pretty much forever and I don\u2019t see much indication that it\u2019s going away anytime soon. Even Shakespeare wrote about it in The Merchant of Venice<\/em>\u2026. \u201cIf you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?\u201d Have you ever wanted to \u201cpay someone back\u201d after an unpleasant or hurtful comment or argument, or wanted to \u201csettle the score\u201d after a friend breaks your trust or betrays your confidence?I bet there aren\u2019t many of us who are … Continue reading
I\u2019m certainly not one to give advice, but maybe we should all just take the view that there is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"