Click image to enlarge.Threat • Violence • Imbalance • Reaction • Vengeance • Illusory Balance • Counter Reaction • Imbalance • Cycle Repeats
The first drawing on the top (see image below) shows a relationship in perfect equilibrium. The second drawing shows one party in the relationship receiving a violent act -- creating an imbalance on the structure of the relationship. The third drawing shows the first party reacting with an equal violence on the other party. The fourth drawing shows that it does not really matter if the "revenge" is equal or greater violence than what was received, because anyway, more often than not, this violent reaction will be perceived as greater than it actually is. And so the cycle of violence continues, as is shown on the fifth drawing.
Click image to enlarge.With the above, I am trying to illustrate that violence can never be resolved by reacting with another violence (an eye for an eye), because what will happen is that one would only creating a vicious cycle of violence.
With violent reaction (vengeance), a sort of catharsis is affected -- a kind of "releasing some steam". Of course, it does not give resolution to the situation at hand, nor does it solve the problem, because, anyway, the water continues to boil.
On the other hand, and this is very important, sometimes an over-reaction happens and we feel guilty, especially, if the other does not retaliate. The more disproportionate our reaction, the worst our feeling of guilt.
"You will make your conflicts disappear when you understand them in their ultimate root, not when you want to resolve them." –Silo, The Inner Look, http://siloswords.blogspot.com/2009/03/silo-inner-look_14.html•••
