+40 Vengeance and Retribution are different things. The first is effectively bad, it's wasted effort and even if you succeed, nobody, not even you, will practically benefit from it. Retribution, however, is another story. Retribution brings us to a better, fairer, more just world. Seek it if achievable. amirite?

by Fancy-Ocelot 1 month ago

Sometimes retribution is not possible (your example, for example) and breaking their legs (vengeance) is the way to deter said colleague, or any other colleague from doing that again (so there's a gain).

by Anonymous 1 month ago

I mean people should be able to deter themselves from being bad. Also, to afflict others you are damaging a specific person which isn't actually the one to deter anymore (they already damaged you)

by Fancy-Ocelot 1 month ago

Maybe "recourse" would be a better word than "retribution"? It really sounds like you're trying to define the concept of recourse.

by Motor-Advance 1 month ago

Not native english speaker, so i can't really say. I am familiar with retribution as something that is given back to you (like even a payment, a sum of money) It could be, recourse to me means something you attempt, and it's usually a legal proceeding, not the endpoint of such proceeding. Maybe compensation?

by Fancy-Ocelot 1 month ago

Yeah, you're thinking of the word "recourse"--it literally, "what comes back to you". Retribution and vengeance mean the same thing. Think of it this way: vengeance or retribution are something you do to someone. Recourse is something for you. Imagine that your friend stole your food. If you steal his food to get back at him, you have taken vengeance. If you confront him and he buys you food to apologize, you had recourse.

by Motor-Advance 1 month ago

Nono, i mean something that has to affect the other person, because in that case it's not that i steal it from them, but they should be forced to give it back, so it's not to me, it's still to them, in a proactive way though. Dunno if it is retribution exactly, but it definitely has to be something affecting the other person. Them saying sorry is "not enough" and not what i am suggesting or addressing

by Fancy-Ocelot 1 month ago

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. The word you're looking for is recourse. I might just not be doing a good job of explaining it--it's like vengeance, but with a positive connotation. It implies that you didn't debase yourself to punish somebody.

by Motor-Advance 1 month ago

Well, here's the first definition that pops up for "retribution": punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act You're definitely looking for nouns like "justice" or "recourse".

by Motor-Advance 1 month ago