THE NEUROSCIENCE OF REVENGE: Why revenge feels good - and what it costs

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/allinthemind/why-revenge-feels-good-what-it-costs/105690276

Revenge feels sweet... At least for a moment. James Kimmel Jr knows that better than most.
As a lawyer, he made a career out of helping clients get payback. But the drive for revenge started to eat away at him, threatening to destroy his work life and relationships.
Coming back from the brink, he started to wonder — why are we drawn to payback? What impacts does it have on the brain? And can revenge ever be addictive?
In this episode, we explore some of the neuroscience of revenge: what's going on in the brain when we seek it out, the rewards we get from it, the damage it causes and how to stop it. Plus, are we hardwired for forgiveness?
Just a heads up, there is a brief mention of animal cruelty in the intro of this episode, so please take care while listening.
You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest:
James Kimmel, Jr., JD
Assistant Clinical Professor, Psychiatry
Yale School of Medicine
Author, The Science of Revenge

Transcript: scroll to the bottom of the page on the website or ABC Listen App.