Have you ever taken revenge against someone?

[OinkBoink]

Though I'm non-religious myself, having studied in a Christian missionary school, I was told that, "Revenge belongs to the Lord". Of course, I understand that it's probably a metaphor and not something to be taken literally.

When I was in 6th standard, I wasn't too good a student because I would never study and this certain guy would always tell me that I'd never be able to beat him academically. In 7th standard, I put in more effort and I outperformed him in nearly everything. After our results came out, I told him to his face, "You told me that I could never beat you, didn't you?". The look on his face was priceless. It still stands out as one hell of a memory.

We're always taught that revenge is never a good thing and that it always ends up hurting everyone. I don't think that's always true. Revenge (depending on the type of revenge you take and how you go about taking it) keeps people in their place. It sets an example to everyone as to what they should and should not do, as to how they should and should not treat people. That's a pretty important lesson in my opinion.

 

[randomrogue]

That's not revenge.

I stay away from revenge. I can only come up with one situation where I'd use it and it's never going to happen.

 

[OinkBoink]

That's not revenge.

I stay away from revenge. I can only come up with one situation where I'd use it and it's never going to happen.

Yeah well, I guess it may not be in the strict sense of the word but I'm not getting stuck up on semantics here. You get the point.

 

[colonelciller]

Though I'm non-religious myself, having studied in a Christian missionary school, I was told that, "Revenge belongs to the Lord". Of course, I understand that it's probably a metaphor and not something to be taken literally.

When I was in 6th standard, I wasn't too good a student because I would never study and this certain guy would always tell me that I'd never be able to beat him academically. In 7th standard, I put in more effort and I outperformed him in nearly everything. After our results came out, I told him to his face, "You told me that I could never beat you, didn't you?". The look on his face was priceless. It still stands out as one hell of a memory.

We're always taught that revenge is never a good thing and that it always ends up hurting everyone. I don't think that's always true. Revenge (depending on the type of revenge you take and how you go about taking it) keeps people in their place. It sets an example to everyone as to what they should and should not do, as to how they should and should not treat people. That's a pretty important lesson in my opinion.

you sound religious to me

 

[OinkBoink]

you sound religious to me

Nope. An atheist for all practical purposes.

 

[randomrogue]

Yeah well, I guess it may not be in the strict sense of the word but I'm not getting stuck up on semantics here. You get the point.

This is not semantics. You are talking about something completely different. What you did was boast or brag. That's not revenge.

 

[colonelciller]

Nope. An atheist for all practical purposes.

then why is the "Revenge belongs to the Lord" bit even a thought that crossed your mind for even the briefest moment?

sounds like your ideas of morality are still entwined/shackled/tainted with those of Christianity. If that's the case then I'd say you're not truly free of the taint of christianity...

 

[OinkBoink]

then why is the "Revenge belongs to the Lord" bit even a thought that crossed your mind for even the briefest moment?

sounds like your ideas of morality are still entwined/shackled/tainted with those of Christianity. If that's the case then I'd say you're not truly free of the taint of christianity...

Because it's one of those notions that some people associate with things like revenge. Even if metaphorically (irrespective of whether they're religious or not). If they're non-religious, some of those non-religious people word it differently and the "Lord" bit doesn't come up.

And no, that's not the case. It hardly ever was.

 

[OinkBoink]

This is not semantics. You are talking about something completely different. What you did was boast or brag. That's not revenge.

What I did was to take someone to task for something told to me earlier. That loosely fits the definition of revenge which is, "the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for a wrong suffered at their hands". I may not have physically hurt him but I certainly did dent his ego and I did that because of what I was told by him earlier.

At any rate, my individual example does not matter much. I was looking for people to share any experiences they've had.

 

[randomrogue]

I'm going to guess that English is not your first language (since I'm assuming standard is meant to be grade) so let me assure you that you shouldn't use revenge in that way.

When I was younger I was living overseas and I had a teacher at night school tell me that I would never get into university, that my language skills were terrible, etc. I enjoyed pulling my acceptance letter out of my back pocket and watching her jaw hit the ground.

That's not revenge though. Revenge means you're hurting someone who hurt you. For example if someone killed your family and you in turn killed their whole family. That's revenge.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

When I was in 6th standard, I wasn't too good a student because I would never study and this certain guy would always tell me that I'd never be able to beat him academically. In 7th standard, I put in more effort and I outperformed him in nearly everything. After our results came out, I told him to his face, "You told me that I could never beat you, didn't you?". The look on his face was priceless. It still stands out as one hell of a memory.

This isn't really what most people think of as revenge. Revenge involves you taking negative action against another person in response to what you feel is negative action they took against you. In your example, that might mean, say, trying to publicly embarrass the guy who told you he was smarter than you.

What you did is actually a great illustration of an anti-revenge maxim: "the best revenge is living well". Which means to worry about making your own life more positive rather than someone else's more negative.

then why is the "Revenge belongs to the Lord" bit even a thought that crossed your mind for even the briefest moment?

sounds like your ideas of morality are still entwined/shackled/tainted with those of Christianity. If that's the case then I'd say you're not truly free of the taint of christianity...

Actually, the idea of revenge being something unworthy of those with virtue is pretty universal across faiths and even secular belief systems. The example that pops into my head is the third Star Wars movie, which was originally called "Revenge of the Jedi" until George Lucas realized that revenge was not an appropriate motivation for the Jedi at all.

 

[colonelciller]

Because it's one of those notions that some people associate with things like revenge. Even if metaphorically (irrespective of whether they're religious or not). If they're non-religious, some of those non-religious people word it differently and the "Lord" bit doesn't come up.

And no, that's not the case. It hardly ever was.

okay

 

[OinkBoink]

This isn't really what most people think of as revenge. Revenge involves you taking negative action against another person in response to what you feel is negative action they took against you. In your example, that might mean, say, trying to publicly embarrass the guy who told you he was smarter than you.

What you did is actually a great illustration of an anti-revenge maxim: "the best revenge is living well". Which means to worry about making your own life more positive rather than someone else's more negative.

Well, I did say that to him publicly, eliciting sneers from some of our friends around us.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Well, I did say that to him publicly eliciting sneers from some of our friends around us.

Then that qualifies, lol. (It's pretty light-hearted revenge in any case, though.)

 

[Murloc]

I'm going to guess that English is not your first language (since I'm assuming standard is meant to be grade)

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/standard
7. Chiefly British A grade level in elementary schools.

Anyway I've never taken any revenge nor is there anyone I would like to revenge against for anything at all.

I think that if you avenge by doing something good for you and then tell him, it's not really a revenge since there are no negatives on him, unless it's public shaming.

 

[smackababy]

I have taken revenge on someone, but it was a punishment that did not fit the crime. They stole some toy from me, and in retaliation, I stole the $100 bill they got for their birthday. Having gotten away with it, I then helped said neighbor extract revenge on his dad's girlfriend because he believed she stole it.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

then why is the "Revenge belongs to the Lord" bit even a thought that crossed your mind for even the briefest moment?

sounds like your ideas of morality are still entwined/shackled/tainted with those of Christianity. If that's the case then I'd say you're not truly free of the taint of christianity...

"Love thy neighbor as thyself"

I love being entwined/shackled/tainted by that concept. Otherwise someone like me has the capacity to do great harm for personal gain. Why be tainted by any moral sense if it goes against the interests of self?

Be careful of what you disparage or you might be a victim of getting what you ask for.

 

[Oyeve]

Not really, but I really would love to sometimes.

 

[Moonbeam]

Then that qualifies, lol. (It's pretty light-hearted revenge in any case, though.)

Pretty light hearted indeed if in fact he didn't seem to knuckle under and start studying just to prove the guy wrong but did so for other reasons.

 

[OinkBoink]

Pretty light hearted indeed if in fact he didn't seem to knuckle under and start studying just to prove the guy wrong but did so for other reasons.

LOL. No, I didn't start studying back then just to prove him wrong. But it was a good (albeit transient) feeling nevertheless and it never really mattered in the long run. It was just something that taught me certain things about people.

 

[Sonikku]

I took revenge on a coworker several years ago, although some of the specifics are lost to me at this point sadly. The gist of what I remember was that he had wronged me, and I wanted revenge. But I could not because it was my word against his and any proof was firmly in his hands, not mine. At the time it seemed futile and appeared as though he was going to get the better of me and I simply had to accept it. But then I had an idea.

I accused him of doing something that wasn't true, but fit well with the preconceived notions of his character shared by several and validated some of the unfounded suspicions of the boss. He could easily have absolved himself of my accusation, but could not because the information he would have had to volunteer to clear his name of the one suspicious activity he had not done only would have raised even more questions of his earlier activity that he had done. It made him look guilty. And he was guilty, just not of the thing he had been accused of. But there would be no justice on that front, so this had to suffice. He was fired. And for his next application and for his two jobs after that he will have to put down FIRED under terms he departed his present employer on his job history. Have a happy career, you son of a bitch.

 

[OinkBoink]

I took revenge on a coworker several years ago, although some of the specifics are lost to me at this point sadly. The gist of what I remember was that he had wronged me, and I wanted revenge. But I could not because it was my word against his and any proof was firmly in his hands, not mine. At the time it seemed futile and appeared as though he was going to get the better of me and I simply had to accept it. But then I had an idea.

I accused him of doing something that wasn't true, but fit well with the preconceived notions of his character shared by several and validated some of the unfounded suspicions of the boss. He could easily have absolved himself of my accusation, but could not because the information he would have had to volunteer to clear his name of the one suspicious activity he had not done only would have raised even more questions of his earlier activity that he had done. It made him look guilty. And he was guilty, just not of the thing he had been accused of. But there would be no justice on that front, so this had to suffice. He was fired. And for his next application and for his two jobs after that he will have to put down FIRED under terms he departed his present employer on his job history. Have a happy career, you son of a bitch.

:thumbsup:

 

[smackababy]

I took revenge on a coworker several years ago, although some of the specifics are lost to me at this point sadly. The gist of what I remember was that he had wronged me, and I wanted revenge. But I could not because it was my word against his and any proof was firmly in his hands, not mine. At the time it seemed futile and appeared as though he was going to get the better of me and I simply had to accept it. But then I had an idea.

I accused him of doing something that wasn't true, but fit well with the preconceived notions of his character shared by several and validated some of the unfounded suspicions of the boss. He could easily have absolved himself of my accusation, but could not because the information he would have had to volunteer to clear his name of the one suspicious activity he had not done only would have raised even more questions of his earlier activity that he had done. It made him look guilty. And he was guilty, just not of the thing he had been accused of. But there would be no justice on that front, so this had to suffice. He was fired. And for his next application and for his two jobs after that he will have to put down FIRED under terms he departed his present employer on his job history. Have a happy career, you son of a bitch.

That is a much better revenge story than mine.

 

[Dendra]

"Have you ever taken revenge against someone?"

Yes. Years ago. Nothing really bad. I talked someone into 'doing the right thing' to the mild detriment of someone who had wronged me. It was deserved in every sense. And the person never knew I was involved. It felt good at the time and I've never had any regrets.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.