Revenge often feels sweet, but what price do we pay for seeking it out? Researcher James Kimmel, Jr. proposes a radical theory: our desire for vengeance operates like an addiction in the brain. This week, how “revenge addiction” plays out in our everyday lives — and on a global scale.
Mar 9
Yuck! The Science of Disgust
Disgust is a strong emotion, one designed by evolution to protect us from danger and diseases. But disgust also spills into other areas of our lives, influencing our morals, our intuitions about right and wrong, even our politics. We talk with psychologist David Pizarro about how ... Show More
1h 37m
Sep 2025
#989 - James Kimmel Jr. - Why Violence & Revenge Fantasies Feel Good
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 ... Show More
1h 38m
May 2025
Why Your Brain Craves Revenge and How to Break Free
Revenge, why do we want to get revenge so bad? And where does that urge come from? And how do we go from wanting to get revenge to being able to forgive someone or others? James Kimmel Jr., Yale lecturer and co-founder of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Studies, is on Getting B ... Show More
49 m
<p dir="ltr">The psychology and neuroscience of revenge.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.jameskimmeljr.com/">James Kimmel, Jr.</a> is a lecturer in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, an expert on revenge, a lawyer, and the founder and co-di ... Show More
