Have you ever felt that burning, relentless need for revenge after somebody has wronged you? It's an instinct to exact retribution on those who have done us harm; however, it can often lead to more damage inflicted upon ourselves. Taking revenge may seem like an easy way to settle the score, but it is essential to consider whether revenge is the best option.

Think twice before seeking revenge.

Every one of us has most likely experienced being wronged by someone. No matter how small or big the wrongful act is, sometimes, we can't help but have thoughts of vengeance on the wrongdoer. It's normal to feel angry when somebody does something wrong to us, but if left uncontrolled, our anger can lead to actions that can have negative consequences.

There can be various reasons why people want to seek revenge on someone. Perhaps they want to do it to release their emotions while holding the wrongdoer accountable for what they did. Others may not have the patience to have the judiciary system bring the criminal or wrongdoer justice, or maybe people can't wait for karma to strike back. Finally, some may feel satisfied once they exact revenge on someone, while others are filled with ill intent to hurt people for the slightest wrongdoing. Whatever the reason, revenge is often not the solution, and it's not guaranteed to bring you happiness or closure after the act. However, the following things may help you think twice before plotting revenge on someone.

1. Revenge won't exactly make you happy and fulfilled

How you feel after striking back at someone who did something wrong to you is anyone's guess. It is not conclusive that you will feel happy and satisfied after an act of revenge, especially if you also did something wrong to another as a way of retribution. Your act of revenge may hit your consciousness and make you feel guilty for hurting another person, which doesn't make you different from the one who wronged you. Also, if you even feel a bit of happiness after hitting back at someone, that's most likely not genuine. It doesn't look good that you can be happy after doing something wrong to someone, right?

2. Revenge may not precisely bring you closure

Let's say you exacted revenge on someone. Different things can happen afterward. You may still feel hurt over what happened even after you did something to your wrongdoer. Also, depending on what was done to you, you may not retrieve what you lost or turn back what has changed from an incident. And then, if you exact revenge on someone, they may do the same to you, putting you in an endless spiral of chaos and hatred. Revenge is a way of moving forward, but it is a bad idea to do it due to things that may happen afterward, which can even be worse than what you have suffered.

3. You put yourself in a state of hurt and negativity

Once the idea of revenge gets inside your head, you start engaging in negative feelings and thoughts. It's like prolonging your anger due to being fixated on wanting to do something against someone. When your whole world starts to become negative, you can become prone to doing things that violate the law as you fill yourself with hate and possibly affect those around you. It's challenging to have peace of mind as you keep thinking of ways to punish someone with your hands.

4. You are bringing justice into your hands

There is a fine line between justice and revenge. Both involve doing something as retribution for someone who did wrong to another. The difference lies in the method of delivery, and the sentiments applied. With justice, a wrongdoer receives punishment according to the law, and violent acts don't need to be done to them. The process is civil, and all parties involved are ensured they get what they deserve to receive. With revenge, you resort to doing whatever means necessary to deliver what you think is just for your aggressor, which can include physical and mental harm and acts outside the law. When you resort to making others take responsibility with your hands, things can quickly go out of control and lead to acts of violence. What's more, if you successfully exacted revenge on someone and got away with it from the authorities, you may think it is okay to do it again to another person should someone do something wrong again to you. This way of thinking can make someone a vigilante if they think it is okay to bring justice by themselves.

5. Revenge can create a cycle of retribution

Possibly the worst thing revenge does to someone is that it can create an endless cycle of hatred and people exacting revenge on one another. For example, let's say you did something to someone who wronged you. However, if that person also believes exacting revenge on someone should be done, they could hit right back at you. So you now receive more wrongs than before, and you think you should strike back again at your aggressor, and the cycle continues. It's like watching a game of people hitting each other with something back and forth until one gets exhausted and gives up or gets eliminated. Also, others may get involved in the cycle of revenge, as some people may want to do it instead on behalf of another who may not want to exact revenge. So the conflict escalates, and more parties get involved, which makes the situation worse. It is challenging to escape a world full of trouble and spite, and you are wasting your time and energy if you keep engaging in such acts of hostility.

There are more constructive ways of moving forward instead of seeking revenge.

It can be easy to say not to take vengeance when someone wrongs you, but once you are in such a situation, it can be challenging to escape and control yourself from so much anger that you feel from what someone has done to you, especially if death is involved. Revenge can be seen as a way of moving forward, although it is not ideal for getting over what was done and accepting what happened to you. Unpleasant things can happen with it, and you can get more trouble and feel worse than before. It will be best to seek the proper authorities to handle wrongdoings, especially if criminal acts are involved. Most of the time, we want vengeance to release all our anger, and what better way than to unleash it on the wrongdoer. But, of course, it shouldn't be this way, and if we want to release our feelings, we could do it in other ways, such as talking with our close friends and family or taking counseling to help in the recovery process. Whenever revenge gets in our minds, it is best to calm ourselves down and think of the consequences it can bring. You don't want to worsen the situation if you want to be at peace and have closure.