Revanche

Revanche

Some believe it is your fault no matter what. It is your fault because if you weren’t there, the incident/accident wouldn’t have happened. A cyclist encountered this reasoning when he hit an old lady who stepped out into the road without looking. She was the one stepping out without paying attention. The locals set upon him, he got punched and kicked. The cyclist felt he was not to blame. He ended up being the biggest victim. A victim of circumstance. If it was your mother though, would you be impartial?

The game of life is riddled with players who cheat. We will expose a cheat in a game of fun and shout more loudly if there is money and prestige involved. We want cheats excluded in future and penalised for their actions. Getting an unfair advantage at times can be a minor irritation compared to cases where somebody does something that is particularly malicious. Some have a total disregard of the damage they cause.

Those subjected to an irreversible loss feel rage, hurt and grief. Some can come to terms with it and move on after a while. There is a counter play: living a forgiving life. However, this doesn’t always provide the required catharsis. Not all can’t get over it and they want revenge. “If it means sacrificing myself in the process, then so be it”, say some, but most understand that realistically there is not much they can do. There is a fear of further reprisals. People that take a dim view of those that take revenge on a criminal get even more upset if total innocents get hurt in the process.

Revenge is a dish best served cold - long after the event. You have the control now. You decide when and by what means. When it is best for you and not for them. Most stick to non-violent actions, possibly a shout out at their wedding to let all their family know about their dastardly ways. Some like to think of comeuppance and karma, but no amount of fiery hell can set straight the destruction some have instigated. Humankind rarely takes adequate early action to reign people in.