James Kimmel, Jr.

We're perceiving an attack, potentially on our bodies, but we're also perceiving an attack on our ego. We see it as a sign of disrespect. That is searing pain. Right in your head, it's real pain. We can see that on brain imaging.

We're perceiving an attack, potentially on our bodies, but we're also perceiving an attack on our ego. We see it as a sign of disrespect. That is searing pain. Right in your head, it's real pain. We can see that on brain imaging.

We're perceiving an attack, potentially on our bodies, but we're also perceiving an attack on our ego. We see it as a sign of disrespect. That is searing pain. Right in your head, it's real pain. We can see that on brain imaging.

Sure. So the recent neuroscience on revenge, which is very fresh and really it hasn't been explored at all by scientists until the last about 20 years. But what we know now is that your brain on revenge looks like your brain on drugs.

Sure. So the recent neuroscience on revenge, which is very fresh and really it hasn't been explored at all by scientists until the last about 20 years. But what we know now is that your brain on revenge looks like your brain on drugs.

Sure. So the recent neuroscience on revenge, which is very fresh and really it hasn't been explored at all by scientists until the last about 20 years. But what we know now is that your brain on revenge looks like your brain on drugs.

When you experience a grievance, and a grievance we can think about as a real or imagined perception of having been wronged, mistreated, shamed, humiliated, insulted, any of those experiences of victimization, they all register inside the brain in the pain network. which is known as the anterior insula.

When you experience a grievance, and a grievance we can think about as a real or imagined perception of having been wronged, mistreated, shamed, humiliated, insulted, any of those experiences of victimization, they all register inside the brain in the pain network. which is known as the anterior insula.

When you experience a grievance, and a grievance we can think about as a real or imagined perception of having been wronged, mistreated, shamed, humiliated, insulted, any of those experiences of victimization, they all register inside the brain in the pain network. which is known as the anterior insula.

And when that area of the brain, which is your brain registering significant psychological or physical pain, your brain doesn't like pain and it wants to rebalance itself. So it's got too much pain and it wants to reverse that or balance that. And the way it does it, it turns out, for revenge seeking,

And when that area of the brain, which is your brain registering significant psychological or physical pain, your brain doesn't like pain and it wants to rebalance itself. So it's got too much pain and it wants to reverse that or balance that. And the way it does it, it turns out, for revenge seeking,

And when that area of the brain, which is your brain registering significant psychological or physical pain, your brain doesn't like pain and it wants to rebalance itself. So it's got too much pain and it wants to reverse that or balance that. And the way it does it, it turns out, for revenge seeking,

is it activates the pleasure and reward circuitry of addiction and in that area of the brain it registers revenge which is to say inflicting pain upon another person to make yourself feel better that registers in your brain in that circuitry and it feels extremely pleasurable for you

is it activates the pleasure and reward circuitry of addiction and in that area of the brain it registers revenge which is to say inflicting pain upon another person to make yourself feel better that registers in your brain in that circuitry and it feels extremely pleasurable for you

is it activates the pleasure and reward circuitry of addiction and in that area of the brain it registers revenge which is to say inflicting pain upon another person to make yourself feel better that registers in your brain in that circuitry and it feels extremely pleasurable for you

Let's take an example of you're driving your car right now or at some other time and somebody cuts you off in traffic, right? So they've disrespected you and your perception is that was wrong, that was a violation of some social norm. And if you're like a lot of people, you're pretty upset by it and you're going to maybe potentially honk your horn, you're going to potentially shout.

Let's take an example of you're driving your car right now or at some other time and somebody cuts you off in traffic, right? So they've disrespected you and your perception is that was wrong, that was a violation of some social norm. And if you're like a lot of people, you're pretty upset by it and you're going to maybe potentially honk your horn, you're going to potentially shout.

Let's take an example of you're driving your car right now or at some other time and somebody cuts you off in traffic, right? So they've disrespected you and your perception is that was wrong, that was a violation of some social norm. And if you're like a lot of people, you're pretty upset by it and you're going to maybe potentially honk your horn, you're going to potentially shout.

If you're a little more aggressive, you might, Flip the finger at that person. If you're a little more aggressive, you might start tailgating them. If you're a little more aggressive than that, you might try and cut them off. And if you're a lot more aggressive, you might pull a gun on that person. So there are these different stages of seeking revenge. So why do people do this?

If you're a little more aggressive, you might, Flip the finger at that person. If you're a little more aggressive, you might start tailgating them. If you're a little more aggressive than that, you might try and cut them off. And if you're a lot more aggressive, you might pull a gun on that person. So there are these different stages of seeking revenge. So why do people do this?