I don’t understand what is so bad about just wanting a person who deeply offends me to suffer punishment in this world. It is well deserved.
Aristotle reminds us that when we practice the moral virtues, we should avoid practicing any one of them in isolation. As an example, a courageous non-swimmer who does not bring wisdom along with the courage might decide to jump into a stormy sea to save a drowning dog, only to lose his own life in the process of trying to save the dog. It is the same with justice being in isolation. If you are angry with the one who offended you, the kind of punishment that you would want for the other might be too severe and out of balance. In other words, the virtue of temperance is missing. If you bring forgiveness alongside justice, then the kind of justice you seek may be less severe and actually more just. Forgiveness may bring out more clearly the virtue of temperance.
