our hurting another only causes him or her to seek revenge in return and so on ad infinitum. Why do we do it? Why don't we as a species learn it is counter productive?
Answers I have gotten on here say, it is an instinct, it is in the Bible (an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth etc.), it is related to and caused by anger,etc. but if it is all these excuses can it not be controlled by education in the simple act of forgiveness? We as a species seem to all need an anger management course.
2007-01-18 20:38:45 · 8 answers · asked by Mad Mac 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Civic Participation
For Loneytraveler: It wasn't the answer I wanted. I'm getting answers.
For Jaggie C: It may be like second nature to you but to me it seems foolish because it is never ending. I don't like war.
For Bashful Reader: I learned from you it was like an instinct to humanly lash out. But that does not explain why world leaders who have months even years to think over an insult still counter attack knowing full well from the lessons of history that sometime down the line the other nation's leader, maybe years, even centuries later will return the attack.Where is forgive and forget among our leaders? It is somewhat understandable in monarchies but in a democracy the leader is answering to the people. Are we as a people that vengeful? Or are we really so dumb as to think anyone ever wins a war?
2007-01-18 21:58:12 · update #1
he,he
OK, you want a philosophical or behaviorist answer ?
I'm more in the 'behaviorist' line myself. Meaning, you can explain human behavior using a mostly animal model.
Why is there violence, why is there revenge (which people often confound with justice) ?
You have to think in terms of survival. The main goal of any living organism on earth is to reproduce its own line. Those who do not have that goal become extinct (meaning their line does not make it into the next generation, so their genetics is no more). All human behavior is derived, at a certain level, from this concept.
So why take revenge ? For the same reason an animal or a plant is poisonous. To teach to other competing animals not to hurt it. If a nation never retaliates against those who hurt it, it will keep getting hurt until it desapears. Sad but true.
'Forgive all your ennemies' is only productive if they stop to attack you by themselves. Collectively, that is a rare occurence.
The concept of revenge is also counter-productive within a society, that's why we have the justice system to prevent destruction within the society. Its purpose is to administer punishment to correct the behavior of an individual. But that supposes the existence of a police force, meaning, an autority which has more power than both victim and abuser.
So to enforce the same system on all humanity, you would have to create an unbiased police force. Not easy... It was tried with UN, but obviously, UN has a serious lack of teeth... As we have seen.
2007-01-19 07:24:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible did say an eye for an eye but Jesus came and He said turn the other cheek and to forgive 70 times 7.
We are only human and we lash out when we are hurt not a good thing but a human thing.
Would the world be a better palce if we all turned the other cheek of course but that seldom happens in this world so we just wait on the next.
2007-01-18 21:25:30 · answer #2 · answered by Bashful Reader 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
being a mean person is easy and therefore the path unfortunately most chosen. It's always harder to be nice,you actually have to make an effort and most people seem to think it's just not worth it. I say, let it go and keep on moving forward, lifes too short for so much drama. I 'd rather laugh than yip!
2007-01-18 20:47:03 · answer #3 · answered by caregiver 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the times, people do it to teach others a lesson by emulating the pain caused by them to us. For me, it's as natural as eating, drinking, sleeping, laughing etc., This may go beyond proportions based on individual capacity.
2007-01-18 20:51:36 · answer #4 · answered by jaggie_c 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in my opinion I have by no ability performed that. yet I have responded the question with a ineffective answer. it would want to be becasue the fellow would not understand the answer and they want both factors for dropping their time analyzing the question. Or it would want to be that they want factors so that they bypass to each question they see and supplies you tht as an asnwer. both way it somewhat works. although its no longer very valuable thats why i have not performed that. I by no ability knew factors mattered, do they?
2016-10-15 10:50:21 · answer #5 · answered by tegtmeier 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seems like you answered a long rambling statement. Is this what Yahoo Q&A is about?
2007-01-18 20:49:33 · answer #6 · answered by lonetraveler 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Vengeance is Mine!" saith the Lord. The rest of us need to learn that.
2007-01-19 03:35:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont understand. but revenge is defintiely not sweet. its BITTER. so please dont do it or try it.
2007-01-23 00:08:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋