The Cost Of Revenge

Seeking revenge against those who have hurt us is a thought that often crosses our minds as individuals, and I think it’s natural to actually feel this way, whether by inflicting the same level of pain or even more. The desire to get revenge is most often than not fueled by anger, disappointment, or when we feel a sense of injustice, and mostly at those moments, we think getting revenge is the only way we can find closure or balance the scales of hurt we felt or feel. However, one thing I have noticed with most people who choose to act on revenge is that they often end up hurting themselves in the process.

There were times I used to think of getting revenge on those who hurt me. I would think of a lot of evil things I could do to the person or people involved, but somehow I never did. Maybe it's because I didn't have the mind to intentionally hurt people, or maybe I was more mature than them. I really can't say what my actual reasons were; I just know that I had never been able to take revenge on those that had hurt me. I would think of revenge several times in the past but never executed it.

I don't think I want to experience what it feels like to get revenge. While I understand that someone really needs to be dealt with, I also know that revenge has a way of consuming people. It takes the person's time and energy and sometimes diverts their focus and also prevents them from getting healed and moving forward, as it's as if they are unconsciously nursing their pain, and so the pain remains alive; these people often find themselves trapped in a cycle of bitterness and resentment. Worst of all, after they might have gotten the revenge, they still won't have the form of satisfaction or peace they hoped for. In some cases, revenge can even backfire.

We have seen a lot of stories online of people that tried getting revenge and ended up in a more serious situation. There was a video of a lady that was going around one time on the Internet where this lady was caught trying to poison her boyfriend's drink in the bar because he cheated on her; when she was caught, she was beaten mercilessly and even taken to the police station. Nobody spoke of the boyfriend that cheated on her; instead, she was accused of trying to commit a murder, everyone blaming her without asking why she did what she did.

So, revenge hardly addresses the root of the hurt. It’s just a temporary release of anger that doesn't fill the void left by betrayal, hurt, or disappointment. Instead, I feel it makes the person feel emptier, as they later get to realize that hurting someone else doesn’t undo the harm they feel or felt.

While I understand that the desire for revenge is a human impulse, it would really be worth reflecting on whether it’s truly worth the cost, time, and energy. Sometimes, the best revenge to give to anyone is simply living well, you choosing to rise above the pain and show the people that hurt you that you are stronger than the hurt inflicted upon you.

Images are ai generated

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