Why do we seek revenge?

This week on Strange Animal we'll delve into the underbelly of vengeance to discover the real reasons why we seek revenge.

Mike talks to a great - or maybe not so great - avenger, Ruby Yudai, to find out why she loves taking revenge.

Michael McCulllough, the author of Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct, explains the evolution of  our desire for revenge.

Men's and women's brains react quite differently when they experience revenge. Mike takes us through the fascinating experiment that revealed the male schadenfreude reaction to revenge.

Is revenge really a dish best served cold? Stacey MacKinnon is a professor of social psychology at the University of Prince Edward Island and she's discovered the best temperature for revenge. 

 

Getting even usually gets a bad rap. It's seen as petty, heavy-handed and even dangerous. But Kevin Carlsmith has a better reason to avoid it. It doesn't work. He discusses his research with Mike.

 

Oh and if all that research hasn't quelled your desire for revenge, take a look at this cautionary tale.

 

To listen to the revenge episode just press play! Or you can download the podcast here, or from iTunes.