Sample Arguments

Sample Argument--1 FORGIVENESS OR REVENGE: FORGIVENESS CAN ALSO BE HUMAN! They say forgiving the people who do wrong to you, who hurt you, or who betray you makes you a better person. I agree, because bottling up your anger and plotting to take revenge can only hurt you instead. These are very destructive feelings. If you feel good about yourself, you can feel good about other people and also about the world at large. Vindication can only make you feel good for a short while, but forgiveness increases your self-respect and integrity. However, this is easier said than done. At the time you are wronged by someone, especially a friend, you feel as if you are going to burst unless you take immediate action towards the wrong-doer. But if you take time and reflect on what happened, you will discover that either the wrong done to you is less significant than you thought at first, or you find out extenuating circumstances, or if all else fails, you may decide that the person in question is not worth taking revenge upon or holding a long grudge against. Another important point to keep in mind against vengeful behavior is that there is no end to it. If everybody decides to get even with their real or imaginary foes, life would be nothing but an endless series of retaliations. And that’s obviously no way to lead a happy, productive, social and positive life, is it? Some say in accordance with the ancient proverb that ‘to err is human, to forgive is divine.’ I beg to differ, because forgiveness can and should be a human affair. It should not be left to God if we want to raise above the primitive and instinctive ‘eye for an eye’ principle. Besides, by using the same argument, it is possible to say ‘I forgive you, but if you are really in the wrong, I entrust its just retribution to God in the afterlife!’ Life is too short for negative and destructive feelings such as revenge. We must forgive, forget and move along. Those burdened with hostility towards their fellow-beings are doomed to lag behind. Let them. We, on the other hand, must look ahead. This increases our self-esteem. In fact, it can lift us to the level of magnanimous individuals who can transcend the petty concerns of day to day affairs. Don’t forget many psychosomatic ailments have their roots in some deeply buried feelings of grudge, resentment and bitterness stemming from an inability to forgive and forget. In conclusion, we must not forget that to get back at your perceived enemy, retaliation is not the answer. It hurts you more than it does your adversary as it can be observed in Milton’s words from Paradise Lost, “Revenge, at first though sweet, / Bitter ere long back on itself recoils.” Additionally, from a different perspective, what can be more devastating to your wrong-doer, your betrayer than forgiving them and showing that despite their efforts you are left unscathed, and moving ahead! Ultimately, forgiveness can be perceived as the greatest revenge! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Argument--2 REVENGE IS SWEET! Ideally, it would be wonderful to turn the other cheek to your enemy, but we are fallible mortals after all and it seems to be impractical to follow Jesus’ advice! Human relationships are based on reciprocity. So, naturally when you are wronged, you want to get even, be it a small matter of neglect or a downright betrayal. Tit for tat is a bit of useful folk wisdom, indeed. However, it is advisable to let things cool down a bit to get a better perspective in accordance with the age old adage of “revenge is a dish best eaten cold.” Because we are only human, bottling up our anger is a very frustrating experience. When it becomes habitual, its effects can be devastating. It can hurt your self-image, make you a notorious wuss, and ultimately prevent you from leading a fulfilling life. If you do not vindicate yourself, you may become obsessed with it to the point where you are paralyzed and cannot act any further. A classmate had destroyed my plant-growing science project in primary school. I was so devastated that I could not bring myself to repeat the whole process all over again which took several weeks anyway. So, I decided to take revenge. I kicked him severely in the ankles until he started to cry. I cannot describe the sweetness of revenge that I experienced at that moment. Another important aspect of vindication is that you do not want to present the image of a weakling to the world at large. Once people realize your ‘saintly’ character—in translation you do not retaliate—they will go out of their way to be nasty to you. This is a bitter truth of life, so you had better get used to it. You will be treated like a piece of dirt at school, at work and at social gatherings. You will not get any respect even from your friends. So, you have to show them that you will stand up for what is rightfully yours and that they should watch their steps. A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless for her own protection), is always too nice to people despite continuous warnings and counsel from me to follow an exact opposite course of action. So, what happens is the contrary of her intentions. Instead of being popular with everyone and being universally liked and accepted, she is trampled on at every step of her life. She gets a crumpy, stuffy, dark office next to the bathroom at work. In social occasions, she is almost completely and brutally ignored. Even her family is rudely negligent of her needs. They do not wait for her at dinner table. They do not ask her opinion about that year’s vacation destination. The list goes on. So, we should not forget the great Roman maxim: To err is human, to forgive divine. We simply are not made up of forgiving material. It does not suit our constitution to forgive and to forget. It is as simple as that.