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September 4, 2025 98 mins
James Kimmel Jr. is a professor at Yale, a psychiatrist, and an author. Why are we drawn to revenge? From playground grudges to epic betrayals, the urge to strike back is universal. But is it a survival mechanism, or an ancient drive that no longer fits the modern age? Expect to learn why the feeling of revenge exists and how it is adaptive, what the biggest triggers of the desire for revenge is, why revenge and revenge fantasies make us feel good, the difference between revenge seeking and self defence or boundary setting, if some people happen to be more vengeful than others, if you should be lauding to forgive rathe than seek revenge, the steps to move through forgiveness, and much more… Sponsors: See me on tour in America: ⁠https://chriswilliamson.live⁠ See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a 20% discount on Nomatic’s amazing luggage at https://nomatic.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Choosing to Not Choose Revenge (7:57) Why Do We Feel Desire for Revenge? (11:39) What are the Biggest Drivers of Revenge? (15:06) How Do We Recover from Revenge Seeking? (21:40) Is There a Connection Between Addictive Behaviour and Revenge? (24:47) The Difference Between Revenge-Seeking and Self-Defence (33:17) The Muddling of Justice and Revenge (43:46) Revenge Isn’t Evil, It’s Retribution (50:35) What Outcomes Drive Revenge? (56:48) The Legal System is a Professional Revenge Business (58:36) The Cycle of Revenge on Social Media (01:06:50) What is Social Justice? (01:09:10) Are Certain Groups More Susceptible to Revenge? (01:14:55) Warning Signs for Revenge Desire (01:19:12) Strategies to Stop Revenge Desire (01:21:13) What Does Modern Revenge and Forgiveness Culture Look Like? (01:34:43) Find Out More About James Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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