Quotations and Literature Forum

Mahatma Gandhi once said that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. I say just make sure it not your eyes[/quote]

"Before you embark on the journey of revenge, dig two graves." Confucius

In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.
Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626)

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The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)

I liked that last one a lot!

It [revenge] is sweeter far than flowing honey.
Homer

And where the offense is, let the great axe fall.
William Shakespeare

No more tears now; I will think about revenge.
Mary, Queen of Scots

Just vengeance does not call for punishment.
Pierre Corneille

Revenge is a much more punctual paymaster than gratitude ~Charles Caleb Colton

To take revenge halfheartedly is to court disaster: Either condemn or crown your hatred. ~Pierre Corneille

Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand,Blood and revenge are hammering in my head. ~ William Shakespeare

Two wrongs don't make a right, but they cancel each other out ~ Me

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Every man carries a circle of hell around his head like a halo. Every man, every man has to go through hell to reach his paradise.
Robert De Niro, Cape Fear

Revenge is a dish best served cold. King Arthur in "Camelot." Probably other, as well.

Most legal systems support the concept of revenge. In America it is called "punitive damages". It means you are being punished MORE than what is considered standard for your crime, because the victim has a right for some kind of closure, which comes through vengeance.

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My name is supposed to say Ayreon, with the E before the O. This is the name of my favorite band. The name Ayroen is just a typo.

This is from Wikipedia. Coincidentally a friend asked me to look it up.

The first written appearance of the proverb "revenge is a dish best served cold" is often credited to the 18th century novel Les liaisons dangereuses ("La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid"). The English version of this phrase in that exact wording can be attributed to The Godfather by Mario Puzo, a major bestseller in 1969. However, the phrase appeared in the 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets as "revenge is a dish which people of taste prefer to eat cold".

This "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. " is attributed to Confucius. That's in the database here.

Anger is the reason for revenge, and "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." ~Buddha

Revenge is a means of consuming one's energy in the wrong direction.