Main Difference – Justice vs Revenge
Whenever a person is wronged, he seeks to justice or revenge. Although many people assume that the two words justice and revenge mean the same, they have two different meanings. Justice refers to the process of law where the wrongdoers are judged and punished fairly. Revenge is the act of harming or hurting someone as a punishment for something they have done. The main difference between justice and revenge is their aim; justice aims to right a wrong whereas revenge simply aims to get even.
This article looks at,
1. What is Justice? – Meaning, Characteristics and Usage
2. What is Revenge? – Meaning, Characteristics and Usage
3. What is the difference between Justice and Revenge?
What is Justice
Justice is fair treatment and behavior. To be more specific, it refers to the process or result of using law fairly to judge and punish crimes and criminals. Justice is always associated with moral rightness, equality, fairness, and ethics. If you become the victim of some wrongdoing, you’d seek justice. For example, if you are attacked by a person and gets injured, you’ll seek justice from the law. The police will investigate the incident and court of law will take action against the offenders.
Justice is not about retaliating or getting even; it seeks to right a wrong and restore the balance. Moreover, justice or the justice system is always impartial and unbiased; it does not choose one person over the other.
What is Revenge
Revenge is the act of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands. Revenge can also be retaliation for a perceived wrong. For example, a thief might want to take revenge from the police officer who arrested him. Revenge is all about getting even. It is personal by nature; people always try to avenge a wrong or an injury by themselves; it is, in essence, a private vendetta. For example, suppose that your car is vandalized by your neighbor. Instead of informing legal authorities and seeking justice, you’d retaliate by vandalizing his car in return. In this moment, you are motivated by the concept of retaliating, not by righting the wrong. Oftentimes, revenge leads to a never ending cycle. This is demonstrated by famous quotes such as “An eye for an eye will make the world go blind” and “Fight fire with fire and you will get burned.” Since revenge is personal and emotional, revenge can be unjust and out of proportion to the wrong originally done.
Difference Between Justice and Revenge
Definition:
Justice refers to the process or result of using law fairly to judge and punish crimes and criminals.
Revenge is the act of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands.
Enforced by:
Justice is served by a court of law.
Revenge is enforced by an individual or a group.
Associated with:
Justice is associated with morality and fairness.
Revenge is associated with vengeance and retaliation.
Aim:
Justice aims to right a wrong.
Revenge aims to retaliate.
Closure:
Justice brings closure.
Revenge might lead to a never-ending cycle.
Rational vs Emotional:
Justice is rational.
Revenge is emotional.
Image Courtesy:
“Balanced scale of Justice” By Perhelion – Own work This vector image was created with Inkscape. (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
“492560” (Public Domain) via Pixbay
