by Danielle Aguilar

Created on: April 27, 2008

"Two wrongs don't make a right". I am sure that almost all of us can remember hearing this saying at one point or another in our lives, especially as children. We were fed this philosophy from practically the time that we were old enough to reason and understand the fundamental concept of good and bad. Whether or not we were inclined to believe in this idea is another story.

Yet there is truth in this adage. Although as children many of us ignored this piece of advice and went for something a little more along the lines of "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth", as we grew up most of us hopefully realized that we would have been better off following that original piece of knowledge because in fact two wrongs really don't make a right. As young children this was something that we couldn't see. We were too focused on the whole idea of revenge that we lost sight of our morals (however underdeveloped they may have been at the time).

Now we can all hopefully see the "light". If one thinks about it, how could two wrongs possibly make a right? So if someone steals from you are you going to steal from them? And if you do, when the overwhelming euphoria of having gotten back at your enemy wears off are you going to be able to deal with the consequences?

Perhaps you are familiar with the saying "Revenge is best served cold". Well, that is directly related to the issue. If people were just to turn the other cheek and leave it alone, they would be able to see that down the line, maybe not today or tomorrow but some day, that person who wronged you will get what they deserve. The best part is, when they finally get what they had coming you will not have to suffer any consequences but will simply be able to sit by and enjoy the show.

Now as humans, it is our nature, our impulse to want to get back at those who have caused us to suffer on any level. Although it may seem like the right thing to do at the moment, after when it is all over what are you really left with? You are left with the feeling that you have done something wrong and it no longer brings you joy; it brings you shame. So when we are thinking about things in the long run and how we want our lives to play out, it is pretty safe to say that two wrongs don't make a right. Even though at the moment when you are getting back at whoever wronged you, it may feel like it is the right thing to do, it isn't. That poses the question: how would you feel?

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