Is Revenge The Best Medicine?

Revenge, vengeance or retaliation whatever you call it is the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands.

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Were you ever dumped on or wounded by somebody? Most of us have dealt with such circumstances in our lives. What did you do then?

Shakespeare said, "If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?"

A Case Study

A group of Swiss researchers wanted to know what happens in the brain when someone reaps revenge.

• They scanned the brains of people who had just been wronged during a game in the lab.

• The researchers then gave the wronged participant a chance to punish the other person, and for a full minute as the victims contemplated revenge, the activity in their brain was recorded.

• Immediately, researchers noticed a rush of neural activity in the caudate nucleus. This is the part of the brain known to process rewards.

^{Source: Science of People}

From a thiest pont of view
What about Karma?
Some people fear Karma. The word 'Karma' has originated from the Sanskrit root ‘kri’ which means ‘to do’ or ‘to act and react’. Karma literally means 'action' or 'reincarnation', and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, which Hindus believe governs all consciousness.

In theosophy and anthroposophy, the Akashic records are a store house of all human events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future of a doer. They are believed by theosophists to be encoded in a non-physical plane of existence known as the etheric plane.

From an athiest point of view
Revenge or Justice?
"Punishing others in this context—what they call 'altruistic punishment'—is a way to keep societies working smoothly. You're willing to sacrifice your well-being in order to punish someone who misbehaved", says Kevin Carlsmith, PhD, a social psychologist at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y.

Carlsmith suggests that the reason revenge increases anger rather than decreasing it is because of ruminations. When people don't get revenge, they tend to trivialize the event by telling themselves that because they didn't act on their vengeful feelings, it wasn't a big deal. Then it's easier to forget it and move on. But when people do get revenge, they can no longer trivialize the situation. Instead, they go over and over it and feel worse.

But What If It Is Self-Destructive?

For the first few minutes it might feel very rewarding and satisfying but in the long run it becomes unpleasant and unhealthy beacause you can't heal. The consequences of having heavy emotions after a betrayal must be used for own profit wisely. If the wrath is used for self-construction it is called- the justice.

What to do?

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• Convert the aggression as your strength.

• Don't let the worm of wrath creep into your success book.

• Focus on your goals.

Outcome(s)

• The victim can taste the sweetness of the joy of the achievement in the near future.

• Would feel more rewarding than what he would feel after seeking revenge.

• Forgiving and letting go of it makes the victim more mature and wise.

• Grow healthy & build healthy environment.

peace.