5 Minute Freewrite: flex them

in #freewrite27 days ago

Find the prompt here:

https://peakd.com/hive-161155/@daily.prompt/14-may-2024-mariannewests-freewrite-writing-prompt-day-2372-flex-them

Flex them. Flex those muscles. Flex your power. I've been thinking a bit about revenge lately. How there's a satisfaction to revenge, but it's short-lived. Like, there's something very human about wanting to punish those who hurt you, I think. Or maybe it's not just a human thing, maybe it's a current society thing? I don't know. I think it's a human thing that is countered by other very human instincts, to be kind and help one another, too. It's problematic when it wins out, and in our current society, it's the punishers who win out, who won out, who need to be countered more strongly. And it's tempting to want to do that by punishing them. Punishing those who hurt you. But. But. But. But what good does it do? Like, we need to stop harm. That is clear. How do we stop harm? Like long term, for good? The carceral system, punishment, is not the way. We need restorative justice in all aspects of life. ALL. So that's what I've been thinking about a bit, how can I practice it in my life? Forgive those who have hurt me. Not want revenge, not want any sort of punishment. What's the restorative justice lens on people who have even just minorly hurt me? Or who minorly cause harm? I don't know exactly what the answer is, but something to do with love. Something to do with forgiveness. Lens shift.