What is the meaning of the quote an eye for eye ends up making the whole world blind?

Question

What is the meaning of the quote an eye for eye ends up making the whole world blind?

Answer 1

Well there is a quote, an eye for an eye

a tooth for a tooth

implying murders should be killed, etc.  the punishment should be the same as the crime

but, Ghandi, who said an eye for an eye makes the world go blind

is saying that if we, for example, kill the killers.  we ourselves are just as bad and according to the first quote also deserve to die.

if we followed the first one, Ghandi is saying, there would be no one left.

Answer 2

All people have sinned against someone so if you enforce eye for an eye(if I do something to you you get to do it back to me) everyone will have lost their eyes. (this leaves no room for forgiveness)

Answer 3

I believe what it means is that "Revenge is not the answer" or more commonly put "Two wrongs don't make a right".

Basically if everyone gets back at each other (eye for an eye) then we're all hurting.

Note: However I'd like to add as my own personal opinion that there is nothing quite as immediately satisfying as bitter sweet revenge.

Answer 4

The phrase 'eye for an eye' originates from the Code of Hammurabi which speaks of giving the same punishment for the act that you have done (if you put out one mans eye your eye will be put out as punishment).

If this were in practice today it means that everyone would be guilty as we all commit ill practices and do things that we shouldn't.