What does this quote mean: “Revenge is an act…?

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“Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.”

Elmer Mueller · Accepted Answer

Revenge is a selfish act, done for your own satisfaction. Vengeance is an often-selfless duty to see justice done, and thus the nobler act. The first is driven by desire, the second by duty.

Elmer Mueller · Answer

I like to think about it like this. Your neighbor accidentally runs over your dog, so you deliberately poison his dog. Not only is that extraordinarily petty, it's just plain evil. That's revenge. Or say your neighbor deliberately murders your wife, so to get revenge you kill his wife. That's revenge, and has no basis in justice. Vengeance is delivering justice to a deliberately guilty party. Like if your neighbor were to ɾąքҽ and murder your daughter, but then get off on a technicality. Taking him out to the woods and blowing his head off would be an act of vengeance.Modern western morality doesn't see much of a difference. And the law doesn't see any difference at all. But historically, people have been sympathetic to vengeance. And a lot of us still are. But while vengeance is popular in Hollywood movies -- A Time to Kill, or any number of action movies, people seem to be less sympathetic in real life. The whole taking the law into your own hands complaint.

Elmer Mueller · Answer

best served cold?

Maximus VonRueden

What does this quote mean: “Revenge is an act…?

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