How does revenge play a role in our world?

Neuroscience research shows that its neurological basis plays a deeper, darker role than we might have imagined...

 

“Behavioral studies from around the world confirm that people who hurt (or kill) other people are almost always acting in response to a personal grievance—a real or imagined perception of having been wronged, betrayed, shamed, humiliated, or victimized.”

- Dr. James Kimmel

 

 



These studies reveal that revenge seeking is a primary root cause for a long list of human violence and intentionally inflicted suffering. And this can range from bullying and youth violence to intimate partner violence, gang warfare, torture, terrorism, and violent extremism

 

But… revenge is not always a very obvious form of violence.  

As Dr. Kimmel explains, it can also happen in social and personal interactions where we might be more subtle about it. It can look like sabotage in workplaces or relationships. It can also look like unkind words, insults, or withdrawing social connection or affection to punish someone. It's also something that emerges at a very young age. We see behaviors related to revenge and retaliation as early as toddlerhood and continuing throughout life

 



Listen on:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Blubrry media player:





Desire for Revenge is neurological - not always pathological

What Dr. Kimmel's work really highlights the neurological basis of revenge. First, the idea of revenge and the concept of revenge is not necessarily pathological. We all experience feelings of injustice and having a grievance and wanting to retaliate. It becomes disruptive and dysregulating and maybe even debilitating when it takes more of the form of an addiction. 

This is a major aspect of Dr. Kimmel's work: the addictive element of revenge, including revenge-rumination. 

 

“Recent behavioral and neuroscience studies of what’s happening inside the brains of people with grievances have led to a chilling discovery: activation of revenge desires and the pleasure and craving neurocircuitry of addiction.​”

-Dr. James Kimmel

 

A pain-pleasure cycle is at the heart of most addictions - including revenge

at its core, the drive for revenge comes from a perceived grievance or injustice. And this can trigger a very primal response in our brains. Experiencing:



a grievance 

perceived mistreatment or injustice

humiliation

rejection 



These events (including perceived events) can activate the brain's pain network and primarily the anterior insula

 

The brain then seeks to restore balance. 

And a powerful evolutionary adaptation leads us to derive pleasure from just imagining ourselves inflicting pain back upon the perceived wrongdoer, or even the people or things or animals associated with them.

 

This kind of pain and pleasure circuitry mirrors the brain's response to addictive substances.

But, as mentioned earlier, revenge is not in itself pathological. And it doesn't necessarily become an addiction.

Just like with all addictions, it can be disruptive if a person is unable to resist ruminating and simulating revenge scenarios, potentially acting them out, or if this constant pain, pleasure, kind of circuitry activation is interfering with healthy functioning and moving on and doing other things that are productive for their life.

 

How do we break the revenge cycle?

A key to breaking this cycle, as is the case with many different mental heal...