Revenge Is Not Always Sweet
Revenge is Not Always Sweet
Ever since mankind was created, it seems that revenge has come along with it. The Code of Hammurabi, the code of law from the sixth king of Babylon, was put into practice around 1760 B.C., making it the oldest recorded set of laws in human history. The code is rooted firmly in the belief in an eye for an eye; revenge was written all over it. Revenge is present in international politics, within one’s nation, in our homes, in our schools and in our personal relationships. Even in the civilized world we live in, revenge seems to play an important role in society. The United States is one of the few countries that allows the death penalty and implements it. People have different reasons and excuses of why the death penalty works, but yet again, isn’t this an act of revenge from one human being to another? The most recent act of revenge is nine-eleven. The United States argues that the war in Iraq was to fight terrorism, when in reality, they are looking for the one responsible to get the revenge millions of Americans ask for.
Revenge is not always sweet; on the contrary it leads to a bitter life. No one is perfect, so why should any person waste his or her life trying to destroy another? Instead, people must attempt to forgive others. Through characters in several classic novels, words from leaders of the world, and through scholars’ researches, I will prove my point that revenge leads to self-destruction.
Why do people seek revenge? According to a National Geographic research, the brain images suggest that humans feel satisfaction when they punish others for wrongdoings. "A person who has been cheated is left in a bad situation, the person would feel even worse if the cheater does not get her or his just punishment," said Ernst Fehr, director of the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Fehr and his colleagues agree that the feeling of satisfaction that people get when they punish
Ever since mankind was created, it seems that revenge has come along with it. The Code of Hammurabi, the code of law from the sixth king of Babylon, was put into practice around 1760 B.C., making it the oldest recorded set of laws in human history. The code is rooted firmly in the belief in an eye for an eye; revenge was written all over it. Revenge is present in international politics, within one’s nation, in our homes, in our schools and in our personal relationships. Even in the civilized world we live in, revenge seems to play an important role in society. The United States is one of the few countries that allows the death penalty and implements it. People have different reasons and excuses of why the death penalty works, but yet again, isn’t this an act of revenge from one human being to another? The most recent act of revenge is nine-eleven. The United States argues that the war in Iraq was to fight terrorism, when in reality, they are looking for the one responsible to get the revenge millions of Americans ask for.
Revenge is not always sweet; on the contrary it leads to a bitter life. No one is perfect, so why should any person waste his or her life trying to destroy another? Instead, people must attempt to forgive others. Through characters in several classic novels, words from leaders of the world, and through scholars’ researches, I will prove my point that revenge leads to self-destruction.
Why do people seek revenge? According to a National Geographic research, the brain images suggest that humans feel satisfaction when they punish others for wrongdoings. "A person who has been cheated is left in a bad situation, the person would feel even worse if the cheater does not get her or his just punishment," said Ernst Fehr, director of the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Fehr and his colleagues agree that the feeling of satisfaction that people get when they punish
Cited: Boon, Susan D., Alishia M. Alibhai, and Vicki L. Deveau. "Reflections on the costs and benefits of exacting revenge in romantic relationships." Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement 43.2 (2011): 128-137. PsycARTICLES. EBSCO. Web. 24 July 2011. Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Bantam Classics, 1981. Print. Dumas, Alexandre. The Count of Monte Cristo. New York: Bantam Classics, 1984. Print. Fischer, Peter, S. Alexander Haslam, and Laura Smith. "“If you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” Social identity salience moderates support for retaliation in response to collective threat." Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice 14.2 (2010): 143-150. PsycARTICLES. EBSCO. Web. 24 July 2011. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Classics, 1981.Print. The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books. New York: Collins, 1989. Print. New Revised Standard Verses. Holy Qur 'an. Trans. M. H. Shakir. Elmhurst, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur 'an, n.d.. Roach, John. “Brain Study Shows Why Revenge Is Sweet.” Nationalgeographicnews.com. 27 August. 2004. 24 July. 2011. . Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2009.Print.