Posted on 07/09/2025 8:50:56 PM PDT by P.O.E.
We don’t usually think of anger and resentment the way we think about drugs or alcohol. But growing evidence suggests that, for many people, the craving for revenge follows the same patterns as substance abuse and addiction, triggering powerful biological urges that can spiral out of control and destroy lives.
Recent neuroscience discoveries show that your brain on revenge looks like your brain on drugs. Real or imagined grievances (perceived mistreatment, humiliation, shame, victimization) activate the anterior insula — part of the brain’s “pain network.”
In response, your brain activates its reward circuitry, causing dopamine to flood your brain, producing short-lived bursts of pleasure.
(snip)
But an even more powerful revenge addiction strategy exists inside our brains — forgiveness.
Recent neuroscience studies show that when you simply imagine forgiving a grievance, your brain’s pain, craving, and reward circuitry shut down and your self-control circuitry activates. In other words, forgiveness takes away the pain of past trauma, eliminates revenge cravings, and restores smart decision-making.
James Kimmel, Jr. says that forgiveness acts as “an even more powerful revenge addiction strategy.
It’s not a gift to the person who hurt you — it’s a gift to yourself.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Depends on who gets to define “revenge”. I some context, we are dealing with “justice”, which I desire and endorse.
You answered your own question, Frank:
“...we aren’t qualified to decide on true justice since we lack the infinite intelligence and knowledge beyond time that he alone possesses.”
While I can see the possible virtues of treating it as a mental illness (drugs, therapy, etc. for recidivists) I can’t help but think of how that could easily be abused. E.g., the (IMHO) overdrugging of youngsters for ADHD.
Revenge is a dish best served cold - Mario Puzo
Think of all the “Revenge” movies shown to young people since the Hays Code was removed and replaced with a “ratings system”. First was GMRX, then G PG, R, X, then G PG PG-13 R and UNRATED. A local store refused to sell me some old Randolph Scott 1950s Western movies till I proved I was 18 or over as the movies were unrated, now same as porn. I was 68 at the time.
Not so much of neuroscience discoveries but an understaning of how the communists noted how easy it is to sway people.
Hitler was elected by the German people.
Democrats work on the Americans the same way.
MEDIA APPORVED
I haven't thought deeply on this, but my understanding is the option you offered above. I would add to that, that not only does God surpass us in intelligence and knowledge of all things, he is also dispassionate and can make judgments that are separated from human emotion and selfish motivation. Human vengeance is a different than justice as it includes personal motivation based on emotion (i.e., anger). God's prohibition against us taking vengeance may be one of his ways of keeping us from sinning and to prevent us from potentially committing injustice.
Forgiveness is for yourself, to help clear off the mental and emotional clutter. It doesn’t mean you have to invite the offender to dinner. And... no I didn’t make that up, but I have heard authoritative professionals and clergy state the same thing.
It is not. It is for you. Let it go. And that is a LOT easier to say then do.
Second, forgiveness does not mean that you do not want them to receive an appropriate punishment.
Third, you do not forget. We do not have a sea of forgetfulness that we can drown the memories in. That is ok. Just do not live in the memories.
Fourth, forgiveness does not mean that everything is reset back to the moment before the person did something to harm you. You do not need to welcome the person back and become trusting and vulnerable again. Some appropriate care is called for. If the person is actually repentant, which BTW makes it much easier to forgive, they should be allowed to work things out as they can but you do not need to feel bad about being guarded around them. Or even not wanting to ever be around them at all.
I know people who beat themselves up because they don't want to be around people who hurt them in the past. Being cautious just means that you are not an idiot.
That is all I know about the subject.
I know a bunch of you will tell me I am wrong.
I forgive you in advance. :)
Yes. :)
But God said vengeance not justice. We are suppose to seek justice and seek after justice.
Someone kills your child, accident or intentional. It is justice to want that person punished. Vengeance would be to go kill his kid. People who quote, "An Eye for an Eye", rarely understand that it was only applied in a certain very specific circumstance and that it was a limiter.
If someone hit a pregnant woman so she went into labor early and mother and baby were ok it was a fine. If there was any other damage to mother or child that was when an tit for tat came in up to and including the person's life. And that was where it stopped. You could not go demand the death of the perpetrator's family or burn down his home or anything else. Your limit was the death of the person who did the assault.
RE: “An Eye for an Eye”... was a limiter.
True. The old way (still continued today in some countries) was unlimited vengeance to the person, the family and the tribe involved.
And as you said:
But God said vengeance not justice. We are supposed to seek after justice.
Thanks.
Well said. Thank you.
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