If you have ever imagined putting an irritating ex, treacherous colleague or inconsiderate neighbour in their place, you are far from alone.
Revenge is often depicted as a destructive impulse that ultimately brings guilt or embarrassment. But new research suggests the emotional reality may be more complicated.
Psychologists found that retaliation is commonly linked to pleasure, satisfaction and a renewed feeling of control.
The findings also indicate that people may enjoy getting even more than they are prepared to admit.
That challenges the widely held idea that revenge inevitably leaves people feeling worse over time.
‘Both enacted and envisioned revenge were associated with pleasant feelings,’ the researchers wrote in the journal Emotion.
‘This association was observed across different measurement types and assessment times, although it was stronger when feelings were assessed during revenge than shortly after revenge, suggesting that the pleasure of revenge fades with time.’
In The First Wives Club, three women take revenge on the ex-husbands who left them for younger partners. Scientists say the impulse to get even can be surprisingly rewarding
The team from the University of Würzburg in Germany reviewed 54 existing studies involving approximately 14,600 people.
Rather than examining elaborate revenge plots, the research largely focused on minor acts of retaliation triggered by everyday arguments and conflicts.
Some studies explored symbolic revenge, asking participants to vent their anger on voodoo dolls instead of real people.
In other experiments, volunteers were asked to imagine taking revenge on someone who had wronged them or to recall occasions when they had actually retaliated.
The analysis found that people who got their own back generally reported greater satisfaction, pleasure and control, with little indication of lasting regret.
The researchers also found that participants seemed to enjoy revenge more than they openly acknowledged.
While volunteers were often hesitant to describe retaliation as rewarding, brain scans and facial-expression analyses suggested strong feelings of gratification.
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Social media is full of advice about taking revenge. Some posts suggest that people can behave so badly they deserve to be given ‘a taste of their own medicine’
Scientists say revenge can trigger pleasure, satisfaction and a sense of control. In Gladiator, pictured, Maximus promises revenge against the emperor who murdered his family
‘These findings suggest that revenge is particularly pleasant during the act itself, supporting the reinforcement model of revenge and providing little evidence that revenge is followed by pronounced unpleasant emotional aftertaste,’ the scientists wrote.
Even so, the researchers are not encouraging people to settle their scores.
Revenge may offer a brief emotional boost, they cautioned, but it can quickly damage relationships and trigger another round of retaliation.
Many of the studies also gave participants few alternatives to getting even. In everyday life, people may instead choose forgiveness, compromise or simply walk away.
The researchers said preserving valuable relationships and avoiding needless conflict could ultimately matter more than the short-lived pleasure of payback.
‘There are other things beyond your own mood and feelings,’ Dr Dyduch-Hazar told The Times. ‘Such as harmony, alliances and the safety of other people.’
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès spends years pursuing revenge against the men who betrayed him
Previous research has suggested that the desire for revenge could be an ancient human instinct that evolved for a practical purpose.
Psychologists argue that vengeance may serve a social function by discouraging people from exploiting others.
If someone stole food, broke a promise or betrayed an ally, failing to respond could have encouraged further mistreatment.
A readiness to retaliate may therefore have helped people protect themselves and preserve their position within a group.
A separate study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that 58 per cent of people would rather take revenge immediately than wait for a larger opportunity to retaliate later.
However, the researchers also found that some individuals were prepared to delay revenge in pursuit of a harsher payoff. This was especially true of people who frequently dwelled on past grievances and displayed more antagonistic personality traits.
