“In blogs and online forums, some people asked: Doesn’t taking revenge and glorying in it make us look just like the terrorists?
“The answer is no, social scientists say: it makes us look like human beings. In an array of research, both inside laboratories and out in the world, psychologists have shown that the appetite for revenge is a sensitive measure of how a society perceives both the seriousness of a crime and any larger threat that its perpetrator may pose.
“Revenge is most satisfying when there are strong reasons for exacting it, both practical and emotional.”
***
Don’t get laid, get even:
Isn’t vengeance an even greater motivator than sex for some individuals?
It’s received wisdom that men form rock bands, start businesses and otherwise strive for alpha male status to get laid.
But surely a number of them are driven to get even.
If sheer satisfaction is the criteria, I would pick Death Wish or I Spit On Your Grave over the most erotic, romantic chick flick.
UPDATE: “The ‘Jew’s comin’ out in him now…” (language warning)
