F. Seltzer's Don T Confuse Vengeance With Justice

People often confuse revenge with justice, and even equate the two. However, justice is societally accepted and is typically utilized to maintain order within a society. Meanwhile, revenge is led by selfishness, vindictiveness, and little to no regard for others. Despite revenge seeming to always have a sound resolution, revenge is often messy and damaging. Revenge is detrimental to all involved because it brings out the worst qualities in people, is typically unsatisfying, and revenge always hurts the victim.

Many instances of revenge have exemplified the fact that revenge brings out the worst in people. From the destruction Israel has released upon Gaza following the attacks on the iron dome by Hamas, to Genghis Khan’s infamous conquest

Revenge always hurts the victim, no matter the resolution, no matter if the avenger apologizes, the victim is always left under the bus. Revenge follows a motive and a drive to hurt the victim as much as one can, or at least, to have the victim’s fate in the palm of one’s hand. This drive is constructed in Leon F. Seltzer’s article Don’t Confuse Revenge With Justice, as “there’s actual pleasure in causing others to suffer the hurt they’ve caused the avenger, or self-perceived victim”, avengers want to employ the concept “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” into their motive as a device to justify their actions. However, it is their pleasure in hurting the victim and disregard for the victim’s feelings and health that always leads to victims not only being hurt, but often being devastated after the fact. One example of an act of revenge that devastated a people was the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This act of revenge revenge is not just damaging to the avenger, revenge is also detrimental to the victim. Revenge always hurts the victim, no matter the resolution, no matter if the avenger apologizes, the victim is always left under the bus. Revenge follows a motive and a drive to hurt the victim as much as one can, or at least, to have the victim’s fate in the palm of one’s hand. This drive is constructed in Leon F. Seltzer’s article Don’t Confuse Revenge With Justice,

Revenge is just the interpersonal route of reaching a conclusion after being wronged, all the Avenger is doing is following their own route instead of forgiving and going to a justice system. Jason Reynolds’ book Long Way Down depicts revenge in this way when Will says “THE MIDDLE DRAWER CALLED TO ME, Its awkward off-centeredness a sign that what was in it could and should be used to set things straight”, Will is referring to the gun in his brother’s old drawer. Will seeks revenge to set things right and seek closure after his brother’s murder. When his mother is depressed and everything is gloomy, revenge is there, like an old friend. Revenge can lead Will to a content mind and a sense of closure, he can take his anger and rage out on his brother’s murderer in order to find peace. However, Will would be killing another human being, he would be letting his emotions and vindictiveness get the best of him. These actions and the release of these thoughts would put Will into a dark place, he would be a murderer, he would hurt his mother even more, and he would most likely be killed for revenge. Eric Jaffe’s The Complicated Psychology of Revenge mentions this concept when he quotes Arlene Stillwell’s Basic and Applied Social In defense of revenge, many could claim that revenge brings closure and resolution. Revenge is just the interpersonal route of reaching a conclusion after being wronged, all the