Revenge
Humans, animals, and even tiny microbes have taken revenge long before recorded history. One would think that our modern society would have risen above this petty passion, but we embrace revenge with gusto. For example, in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, Chief of Serbian Military Intelligence Dragutin Dimitrijević put together a team that assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The revenge behind that single death was World War One, resulting in the death of millions.
Computers now make revenge even easier. Instant, long-lasting, and effective revenge is only one mouse click away. If you dislike a meal, leave a bad Yelp review. Thousands of people will read it, costing a restaurant untold heartache. That will show them!
This morning, somebody left a critical review of my book. It was nasty, personal, and intentionally mean. Ouch. What was going on? A reader wanted revenge because they paid for my book and did not like it. Sorry!
I feel that books are supposed to be fun. If I encounter a book not to my taste, I put it down. Life is too short to finish a bad book, and it is far too short to take the time to write up a bad review for something I did not bother to finish. However, reading this review made me think about the motive behind that reader. Was their revenge a core value? Why do we need to stick it to the bad guy? Why does watching the bad guy wallowing in pain feel good?
We laugh in a movie when the bad guy gets a pie in the face. We jump up, clapping when the evil villain takes a bullet through the heart. Watching the bully cry feels better than seeing the hero receiving a reward. We love telling stories about our revenge. History class studies battles, political campaigns, and the aftermath. Even unemotional/logical science embraces the core value of proving somebody else’s theory wrong.
Well, what about me? Around the age of eight, I began learning how to ride a bike. My bike had training wheels at the time, and I did not have good coordination. One day, a bunch of kids got together to ride bikes. They were more advanced, and their bikes did not have training wheels.
While I tried my best to join in the fun, one of my training wheels fell off. The other kids circled as they taunted me with their superior skills. This made me feel terrible, which led to more taunting. Of course, if circumstances were reversed, I would have been one of the mean kids.
One kid stood out as the leader, and on the next pass, I grabbed his handlebar, and he flew onto the pavement. My revenge only took one small tug. My parents were furious, and I made it worse by refusing to apologize. The more they yelled, the better I felt. Yeah! Take That! I sat there with a big smile as they applied first aid to the kid’s wounds. Pure victory.
As I write this article, I realize I made a mistake all those years ago. Who is saying that? With all his life experiences, confidant Bill proudly makes this bold statement. He knows that training wheels can be repaired and, with perseverance, a boy can learn how to ride a bike.
Do I feel regret? I do, but feel pride in my accomplishments. I successfully fought back. How would I feel if my daughter did the same thing? Like my parents, I would be horrified for raising a monster and afraid of a lawsuit. However, a tiny part of me would smile. You go, girl! Side story. The neighborhood kids stopped taunting, and I did not become friends with that kid. If the incident had not occurred, he could have been my best friend.
At its core, revenge is a reaction. If we cannot fix a problem, we can inflict pain intending to feel better. This is counter-intuitive, immoral, illogical and not the mark of a good person. Yet, revenge is a part of life. It may even be healthy. Doing something (even if stupid) is better than doing nothing.
Of course, we do not like it when somebody takes their revenge on us. The bomber that sets off explosives because they are mad. The guy who keyed a car because somebody cut them off.
Writers tap into this emotion with gusto. In one of my books, an incompetent coworker plagiarizes work. The main character exposes his flaws, resulting in termination. The former coworker then embarks on a revenge campaign by posting unscrupulous lies. The main character frames him for a severe crime. He then posts more lies from jail, and the main character arranges his death. This revenge spiral occupies a critical subplot.
Is this classic revenge one-upmanship realistic? Life is full of revenge. Look at car repossession. That is a legitimate industry where companies get revenge on people who cannot pay for their cars.
Fictional stories are full of revenge, like the movies Death Wish, Taken, and Revenge of the Nerds. We love these stories and the uplifting satisfaction of a good revenge plot. In fiction, revenge is a healthy core value. Why? We relate to this core value; it is like revenge permits us to misbehave.
Should our society and entertainment embrace revenge? The world would be fantastic if everybody “became a better person.” Alas, no. We regard revenge as a moral right. In many court cases, an acceptable defense and, for many stories the main plot.
Humans cannot let go of their feelings, and I am guilty of harboring anger toward people who have wronged me. I suppose it is part of the human condition.
One final thought. This morning, an arrogant driver cut me off. Man, I was ticked off and swore up a storm as he sped away. A few minutes later, a cop pulled him over. This was not the textbook definition of revenge, but it made my day.
You’re the best -Bill
July 10 2019 Updated June 07, 2024
Computers now make revenge even easier. Instant, long-lasting, and effective revenge is only one mouse click away. If you dislike a meal, leave a bad Yelp review. Thousands of people will read it, costing a restaurant untold heartache. That will show them!
This morning, somebody left a critical review of my book. It was nasty, personal, and intentionally mean. Ouch. What was going on? A reader wanted revenge because they paid for my book and did not like it. Sorry!
I feel that books are supposed to be fun. If I encounter a book not to my taste, I put it down. Life is too short to finish a bad book, and it is far too short to take the time to write up a bad review for something I did not bother to finish. However, reading this review made me think about the motive behind that reader. Was their revenge a core value? Why do we need to stick it to the bad guy? Why does watching the bad guy wallowing in pain feel good?
We laugh in a movie when the bad guy gets a pie in the face. We jump up, clapping when the evil villain takes a bullet through the heart. Watching the bully cry feels better than seeing the hero receiving a reward. We love telling stories about our revenge. History class studies battles, political campaigns, and the aftermath. Even unemotional/logical science embraces the core value of proving somebody else’s theory wrong.
Well, what about me? Around the age of eight, I began learning how to ride a bike. My bike had training wheels at the time, and I did not have good coordination. One day, a bunch of kids got together to ride bikes. They were more advanced, and their bikes did not have training wheels.
While I tried my best to join in the fun, one of my training wheels fell off. The other kids circled as they taunted me with their superior skills. This made me feel terrible, which led to more taunting. Of course, if circumstances were reversed, I would have been one of the mean kids.
One kid stood out as the leader, and on the next pass, I grabbed his handlebar, and he flew onto the pavement. My revenge only took one small tug. My parents were furious, and I made it worse by refusing to apologize. The more they yelled, the better I felt. Yeah! Take That! I sat there with a big smile as they applied first aid to the kid’s wounds. Pure victory.
As I write this article, I realize I made a mistake all those years ago. Who is saying that? With all his life experiences, confidant Bill proudly makes this bold statement. He knows that training wheels can be repaired and, with perseverance, a boy can learn how to ride a bike.
Do I feel regret? I do, but feel pride in my accomplishments. I successfully fought back. How would I feel if my daughter did the same thing? Like my parents, I would be horrified for raising a monster and afraid of a lawsuit. However, a tiny part of me would smile. You go, girl! Side story. The neighborhood kids stopped taunting, and I did not become friends with that kid. If the incident had not occurred, he could have been my best friend.
At its core, revenge is a reaction. If we cannot fix a problem, we can inflict pain intending to feel better. This is counter-intuitive, immoral, illogical and not the mark of a good person. Yet, revenge is a part of life. It may even be healthy. Doing something (even if stupid) is better than doing nothing.
Of course, we do not like it when somebody takes their revenge on us. The bomber that sets off explosives because they are mad. The guy who keyed a car because somebody cut them off.
Writers tap into this emotion with gusto. In one of my books, an incompetent coworker plagiarizes work. The main character exposes his flaws, resulting in termination. The former coworker then embarks on a revenge campaign by posting unscrupulous lies. The main character frames him for a severe crime. He then posts more lies from jail, and the main character arranges his death. This revenge spiral occupies a critical subplot.
Is this classic revenge one-upmanship realistic? Life is full of revenge. Look at car repossession. That is a legitimate industry where companies get revenge on people who cannot pay for their cars.
Fictional stories are full of revenge, like the movies Death Wish, Taken, and Revenge of the Nerds. We love these stories and the uplifting satisfaction of a good revenge plot. In fiction, revenge is a healthy core value. Why? We relate to this core value; it is like revenge permits us to misbehave.
Should our society and entertainment embrace revenge? The world would be fantastic if everybody “became a better person.” Alas, no. We regard revenge as a moral right. In many court cases, an acceptable defense and, for many stories the main plot.
Humans cannot let go of their feelings, and I am guilty of harboring anger toward people who have wronged me. I suppose it is part of the human condition.
One final thought. This morning, an arrogant driver cut me off. Man, I was ticked off and swore up a storm as he sped away. A few minutes later, a cop pulled him over. This was not the textbook definition of revenge, but it made my day.
You’re the best -Bill
July 10 2019 Updated June 07, 2024
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