Wisdom of Confucius: On Revenge

Before you embark on a journey of revenge,

dig two graves. 

 Confucius. 

I was about to watch ABC's new drama Revenge when this quote flashed on the screen and my mind began to stray from the show and got lost pondering the words of Confucius.

Grabe ka Confucius ha why are you so wise. I remember my third year in high school when we started tackling Confucius in World Literature I was really in awe! He must have spent his whole life thinking and meditating about life to come up with all those nuggets of wisdom. It's either that and he was a good observer of others' lives or he is this guy who has made so many mistakes that eventually he accumulated so many life lessons. Or, since some scholars doubt that he actually wrote the words attributed to him, maybe the wise man Confucius we know today is in essence a face and a name given to old collective wisdom. 

But I mean to ponder not the man but his words. (I just have the tendency to digress... like now hahaha flight of ideas talaga.)

When you read it it sounds like common sense, that obsession with vengeance will destroy you. Just watch primetime TV! Anger consumes the characters and it causes them more pain. Instead of moving on with their lives because they've already become successful or have already managed to extricate themselves from their previously pathetic lives, they cannot be satisfied until they've gotten their revenge. (Actually this post is spurred by my annoyance at pinoy telenovelas -- they're all vengeance vengeance vengeance vomit vomit vomit!!!) 

In a way I can understand and sympathize with them, sometimes it's hard to deal with the knowledge that evil people can get away with things with impunity. When my ex turned out to be a two-timing a-hole I wanted to hurt him until he bled. Lucky for him I realized that vengeful exes are pathetic and I'd only be hurting myself more in the process. So I just thought, karma's a bitch and she'll find him soon enough. It didn't have to me doing the work. So I walked away without looking back.

Until now, when I get mad, I suppress the urge to get even. I walk away. That's my motto: Just walk away. And it's not because I'm spineless. It's because I know they'll get what they deserve  eventually even without me serving it to them in a platter. Which is good because the platter has sharp edges! (I like metaphors, bite me! Haha.)

When I searched for Confucius in Wikipedia, I came across another nugget of wisdom.

When the stables were burnt down, on returning from court, Confucius said, 'Was anyone hurt?' He did not ask about the horses. 

Analects 

Priorities! People are more important than possessions. And you are more important than your need to get even. Idol ko na talaga yan si Confucius! Ise-search ko pa ulit si Lao Tzu. Hahaha.