So my roommate got cheated on by a CMC Econ Bro – twice. So to explain Nietzsche’s characterization of revenge, I decided to ask her how she would get revenge on the CMC man who cheated on her, not once, but TWICE.
“So if there was no way you would get caught and the law did not apply, how would you get revenge on him for cheating on you?”
“I’d chop it off.”
Don’t worry, I stare him down whenever I see him walk by the cube.
So hypothetically, if my roommate got revenge on him for cheating on her, what would Nietzsche think of her potential plot of revenge, or what would he think her plan for revenge falls under?
Nietzsche states that there are two types of revenge, which depend on your inner motivation.
The first type is called self preservation. This type of revenge is similar to an immediate reaction, an “involuntary reflex”. We react like this to protect ourselves from further harm and fear of whatever prompted this reaction.
“We act this way without any wish to do harm in return, merely in order to get away with life and limb” This first type does not harm the other person, it only protects yourself from further harm. It preserves your well being.
The second type of revenge is called restoration. This is meant to hurt. This focuses on your opponent, demonstrating a lack of fear in your opponent. In the first type of fear we react entirely out of fear.
So which type of revenge does my roommates plot fall under?
Nietzsche would characterize this type of revenge as restoration. My roommate’s plan solely focuses on hurting the opponent – the CMC man who cheated on her. There is an obvious lack of fear in my roommate’s plan. This type of revenge is also not a reflex, it is a meticulous thought out plan.
(Maybe if she didn’t take him back the first time and used self preservation she wouldn’t have gotten cheated on the second time)
