Why revenge feels good — and what it costs

Why revenge feels good — and what it costs

Author: ABC Australia September 6, 2025 Duration: 32:21
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 Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite Thanks to freesound.org users craigsmith, Scott_Snailham and EwanPenman11.  More information: The neural basis of altruistic punishment The sunny side of fairness: preference for fairness activates reward circuitry (and disregarding unfairness activates self-control circuitry) The neural basis of economic decision-making in the Ultimatum Game "An eye for an eye"? Neural correlates of retribution and forgiveness

Ever wondered what's really happening inside your head? Each week, All In The Mind from ABC Australia ventures into the complex landscape of human thought and feeling. This isn't just a dry science lecture; it's a thoughtful exploration of the experiences that shape us, hosted by curious minds who know how to tell a compelling story. You'll hear conversations that bridge the gap between scientific research and the messy reality of daily life, delving into topics as diverse as the mechanisms of memory, the challenges of breaking an addiction, or the ethical puzzles posed by artificial intelligence. The discussions are grounded and accessible, making the inner workings of the brain relevant to anyone interested in health, behaviour, or simply understanding themselves a little better. By tuning into this podcast, you join a community considering how our mental universe influences everything from our personal fitness to our social connections. It’s a weekly opportunity to pause and reflect on the fascinating forces-both biological and psychological-that drive what we do and who we are. The production brings together expert insights with genuine human stories, creating a space where complex ideas about the mind and behaviour are unpacked with clarity and depth.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

All In The Mind
Podcast Episodes
Narcissist, or just a pain? How to deal with difficult people [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:29
You know how certain people are just… difficult? Maybe they're prickly to be around, don't take feedback well, or act like a narcissist? Today we're learning how to handle relationships with difficult people; from settin…
Brain Rot:  Meet the people who ditched their smartphones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:57
We've all dreamt of lobbing our smartphone into the ocean and going off grid. So what happens when you follow through with it? For the final episode of Brain Rot, we speak to the people who decided they'd had enough. Fro…
Brain Rot: Internet addiction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:31
Plenty of people will say they are addicted to the internet. But how well-recognised, scientifically, is an addiction … to your screen? In episode four of Brain Rot, we dig into how behavioural addictions work. And we he…
Brain Rot: What is tech doing to your memory? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:36
We're trusting tech with more tasks than ever — including the ones our brains once did. We're Googling things we used to know, taking screenshots of things we'll instantly forget, and hoarding all kinds of data we'll nev…
Brain Rot: Will AI turn us off human relationships? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
Whether it’s social media, the omnipresent smartphone or AI companions, in recent decades the way we relate to each other has been completely up-ended. In episode two of Brain Rot, we explore the potential implications t…
Brain Rot: Is your phone destroying your attention span? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
Everyone seems to have a hunch that their phone is destroying their attention span, but is there any science to back it up? In episode one of Brain Rot, we’re doing our best to focus on the topic of attention for a full…