User blog comment:FairyRaven/Fairy Tail Chapter 424: Avatar, Review and Commentary/@comment-24277053-20150316193039/@comment-5268982-20150316195335

I see it differently.

Both were sadists, no doubt. However, Flare knew she was inferior to Lucy in the fight, and so when she gained the upper hand by cheating, she resorted to humiliating Lucy to prove her superiority. She wanted to strip her and burn her guild mark on top of her own guild mark. Also, after her guild mates saved her, she, once again, ridiculed Lucy.

Minerva, on the other hand, knew she was a superior fighter and suffered from God complex. She nonchalantly tortured Lucy for being trash and having the nerve to be on the same field as her, someone who did not deserve to be a Mage in her opinion. Also, if we're talking about trauma, Jiemma had a similar job as Raven Tail had with Flare, only deeper, because he was her father and was tnere for Minerva all her life. Not that it excuses her actions, but it needs to be taken into account for her actions, if we take into account Raven Tail for Flare's actions.

I still agree that Gajeel was probably the worst though :P