Scruples.

[Groinstrike]

Revenge, at least the brand that I would employ, is wrong. However, I'm OK with doing something wrong in a number of circumstances. If you kill or rape a member of my family, I'd gladly dig two graves before placing you in one. I'm a big believer in spite, and though I sometimes forget, I rarely forgive. If the courts frowned upon my particular brand of justice in the above situations...so be it.

The scorched earth policy is the last refuge of the beaten man, If im going to hell, i ain't going alone.

I wonder how many people would have a different opinion if I said, that you would "get away" with your act of vengeance???

I'm guessing none, as those who have answered have cited principles as reason.

I am starting to think i have a seriously flawed moral compass.

[Liver Punch]

Revenge...NO!! That's not the martial arts, imho.

Once, when I had been in the martial arts for 2-3 years and was about 10 years old, a situation arose on the playground. This situation, it quickly became apparent, could only be effectively solved through fighting. As my opportunity to knock this guy's head off arose, I remembered our Sensei saying "Martial arts are serious, and they're only to defend yourself against serious threats - not for using on the playground."

I thought about this for a moment, and realized that using my martial arts techniques would be both disrespectful and wrong. So, I didn't use martial arts, I just started throwing hay makers.

I'm not really sure what the moral of this story is. Perhaps, like in real life, there is no moral - just one kid on the ground with a bloody nose, and another kid standing over him crying his eyes out with his blood on his fist...nobody is ever a winner.

[bushido_man96]

So my question to the forum is this. Not counting self defense situations, to want extent would a person have to wrong you before you would consider bringing upon that person serious violence with malicious intent.

I have no qualms with the fact that I have thought of revenge in the past on various people, and probably for less than the story you have shared with us here.

Knowing what I know now, it would be tough to drive myself that far, knowing what could happen in regards to losing my job, going to jail, and then being unable to support my family.

With that said, a moment of passion can take someone in a flash. If something happened to a familiy member of mine, I would probably get driven quite mad. I would likely begin smashing things to release tension in anger for sure. As for the guilty party....

....if I take into consideration your last caveat of "if I knew I could get away with it," then it would likely be a very bad day for the guilty party.