How to Read “目には目を歯には歯を”
Me ni wa me wo ha ni wa ha wo
Meaning of “目には目を歯には歯を”
The original meaning of this proverb is that “retaliation should be limited to the same degree as the harm received.”
In modern times, it tends to be used to encourage active retaliation with the meaning “if you’re attacked, attack back,” but in reality it’s the complete opposite—it’s a teaching that “warns against excessive retaliation.” In other words, when someone harms you, rather than letting emotions drive you to retaliate more severely than what you received, the idea is to limit your response to the same degree as the damage you suffered, thereby preventing a chain of revenge.
The reason for using this expression is that when humans feel anger or resentment, they often tend to try to inflict greater harm on the other party than what was done to them. As the phrase “double payback” suggests, we naturally tend to escalate retaliation. This proverb’s true intent is to warn against such human tendencies and encourage fair and moderate responses. Even today, it can be understood as a guideline for maintaining calm and appropriate responses when dealing with workplace troubles or interpersonal problems.
Origin and Etymology
“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth” originates from the ancient Mesopotamian Code of Hammurabi (around the 18th century BCE). This code is known as one of the world’s oldest written laws, and it recorded the principle of retributive justice: “one who injures an eye shall have their eye injured” and “one who breaks a tooth shall have their tooth broken.”
However, this was never meant to encourage cruel revenge. At that time, victims and their families often carried out excessive retaliation against perpetrators, disrupting social order. The true purpose of the Code of Hammurabi was to set an upper limit on retaliation with the principle “you shall not retaliate beyond what was done to you.” In other words, it was a groundbreaking legal concept designed to break the chain of unlimited revenge.
This concept was later incorporated into the Old Testament and recorded as “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” It is said to have been introduced to Japan from the Meiji period onward along with Western culture. Interestingly, although this phrase originally meant “limitation of retaliation,” in modern times it is often understood to mean “equivalent retaliation.”
Usage Examples
- Responding to his criticism at the same level is in the spirit of eye for eye, tooth for tooth
- In that matter, responding with eye for eye, tooth for tooth would probably be the fairest approach
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the interpretation of “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” has changed significantly. With the spread of social media, this proverb has taken on new meaning.
On the internet, we often see “flaming” phenomena where extreme reactions spread in a chain reaction to someone’s statement. The “escalation of retaliation” that this proverb originally warned against now occurs instantly and on a large scale in digital spaces. It’s not uncommon for a single critical comment to generate hundreds of times more aggressive replies.
Moreover, in modern constitutional states, individual retaliation is legally prohibited, and the judicial system is responsible for “appropriate punishment.” Therefore, literal “eye for eye” is no longer realistic.
However, in workplace and business settings, the original spirit of this proverb remains important today. It is utilized in the sense of “appropriate response without excess” when considering countermeasures against competitors’ strategies or when responding to proposals in negotiations.
It is often misused in an aggressive sense of “if you’re hit, hit back,” and the original teaching of “moderate response” tends to be lost, which can be said to be a challenge of modern times.
When AI Hears This
Let’s examine the specific moment when the meaning of this phrase changed 180 degrees.
In the Code of Hammurabi from around 1750 BCE, it was an upper limit rule: “One who has had an eye injured may injure the eye of the perpetrator, but nothing more than that.” In other words, it was a “prohibition against tenfold retaliation.” At the time, tribes were destroying each other through chains of revenge, so this was groundbreaking as a “law to prevent excess.”
However, in medieval Europe, the interpretation of this code changed. It came to be introduced as a “barbaric law of revenge” in contrast to Christianity’s teaching to “love your enemies.”
The decisive turning point was 19th-century Western films. It was used to justify revenge with the message “strike back when struck,” and spread among the masses. Even in modern movies and dramas, this “revenge version” is overwhelmingly more common.
What’s interesting is that according to surveys by legal scholars, about 80% of modern people think this phrase is a “teaching about revenge.” However, it was originally “wisdom of peace that limits revenge.”
The case of a single phrase changing to the completely opposite meaning over 4,000 years is an extremely rare example in the history of proverbs.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is the importance of “the courage to pause when we become emotional.”
In our daily lives, we sometimes receive unfair treatment or are subjected to thoughtless words. At such times, it’s natural human reaction to want to strike back even more strongly than the other person. However, in those moments, try to remember the original meaning of this proverb. The moderation of “limiting to the same degree” is actually the wisest response.
In modern society, there are increasing situations where emotional reactions can spread instantly, such as social media posts or email exchanges. This is precisely why this ancient wisdom holds fresh value. By responding at the “same level” as the other person’s actions, we can prevent unnecessary escalation of conflict and maintain a path toward constructive resolution.
You don’t need to become a perfect saint. Just when you feel like retaliating, tell yourself that “the same degree as the other person is sufficient.” With just that, your relationships will surely become more peaceful and fruitful than they are now.
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