"The full saying is that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth shall leave us all blind and toothless. The root of it is that revenge is not a single retaliation for a harm done, it is a cycle that does not end before it is too late for all involved. And one of the biggest tragedies of such situations is the inevitable escalation."

He ran a hand through his beard. "They harmed you, or someone you care about. So you feel you have the right to hurt them. Now you've hurt them. So now they feel they have the right to hurt you..." He shook his head. "Does this sound ideal to you?"