Revanche

Revanche

Some believe it is your fault no matter what. It is your fault because if you weren’t there it wouldn’t have happened. I recall a cyclist who encountered this reasoning when they 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, dishing out punches - a little beating. 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. Some do not realise they are at fault, but not all can hide behind that excuse. We will expose a cheat in a game of fun and shout more loudly if there is money and prestige involved. We want them 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.

When you are subjected to an irreversible loss you have your rage, hurt and grief to contend with. Some can come to terms with it and move on after a while. They employ the counter play of living a forgiving life. However, this doesn’t always provide the required catharsis. We can’t get over it. We want to 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. Many have a fear of further reprisals. If total innocents get hurt in the process when you are trying to get back at someone, the masses will be very upset. Absolute care is required to avoid getting the payback wrong.

Revenge may well be a dish best served cold - long after the event. You have the control now. You decide by what means and when. 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.

There are numerous fungi that appear to take over the body of ants. This makes the ant do most bizarre things, leading to their death. This behaviour manipulation is not reserved for ants alone, populations can have their behaviour manipulated too. It is usually a slow, step by step process. Whether it is a war or a fundamental change in ideology, small numbers press their system on to the masses little by little until a watershed moment and it is too late to do much about it. The masses may comprise of mainly decent people, but they are immaterial. They don’t count as they largely go along with the master game players. You are viewed as an object, an asset, a thing to be used. There is very little respect for your game of life. Objecting gets you wiped off the game board. Control is obtained through fear. Fear of the consequences of fighting against the crusade. Fear of what they are making you fearful of. We have had fears of one sort of another since we stood up and began walking on two feet. The only change is the nature of that fear. Fear makes us selfish, and selfishness is a primary drive.