The Brief Psychology Behind Revenge
Vengeance Has Long-Term Costs
I am not a vengeful person, though I am surrounded by people who find it strange that I don’t seem to bat an eye on those who have reportedly harmed me. To be honest, I don’t have the time or place to dip into the mud with someone that did something so horrendous.
The inner machinations surrounding revenge fascinate us from time to time. Often, we watch movies or read books where protagonists enact revenge on those who wronged them. Cue the amazing music, stylish clothes, and aesthetic — and you’ve got an award-winning thriller in the mix.
However, in real life, such acts are intellectually and physically exhausting — and are not worth the effort of maintaining or sustaining. Plus, we have to consider the moral ramifications surrounding revenge.
Depending on who you are, where you are, and the unique circumstances that conspired this plot, revenge is often served to remind others to not underestimate the person that they have wronged.
In a sense, it can provide sudden order to a chaotic mess, but it always comes with an incredibly dark price. Perhaps that price is rumination and obsession. Perhaps that price is losing a sense of your happiness, rendering you with shockingly low levels of self-esteem.
