The need for revenge - whether sought after or not - has baffled psychologists for years. This is mainly due to something known as the "Revenge Paradox" (Kevin Carlsmith, Daniel Gilbert, Timothy Wilson). This theory suggests that revenge gives an "altruistic punishment to keep society running smoothly", since it is the most common experience that if people choose to exact their revenge, they are not left with a sense of fulfilment - but rather a feeling of emptiness. So why do we seek it? Well, it is believed to be a product of evolution, triggering the seeking system in the brain once originated in the rage circuit.
So what can revenge make us do? It can make us irrational and obscure our perception of what we think is right and wrong. It makes us discard our moral compass, and instead be driven by this insatiable hunger to serve some kind of justice.
Although revenge can obscure your morality and make you irrational for a short period of time, it does not necessarily change who you are as a person and your core values. Some are overcome by the need for revenge, but when they have a chance to achieve it - they back out. Cinderella does this. When faced with the chance to kill Avery and get vengeance for her family, she is unable to go through with it. And having made this decision, she is relieved.
Cinderella doesn't go through with killing Avery in order to show all the stages of revenge from start to finish and how much it can change you, yet how you still stay the same underneath. Making the entire ordeal drastically worse if you were to follow through with your revenge. And allow your need for it to influence your perception of morality.
George Stephenson, of the Burgate House Murders, is one man who succumbed to the effects of the need for revenge. In 1986 he killed a family of four along with their nurse and the event that triggered this reaction - he was fired by them. This is only one of many cases which have the defendant acting due to a need for revenge.
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Insane - Who Are You To Judge? (Gripping Psychological Thriller)
Mystery / Thriller"My name is Avery Blake. I will be the hero for the next 300 pages. Well, in my opinion I will be anyway. After all, this is my story. My primary occupation is as a pharmaceutical rep. I have to say I do love the sales and I definitely love the cash...
