It's easy to dwell on bitterness after someone wrongs you. But we must be careful not to drown in all that negativity. Instead, we should focus on channeling our energy into growth, which is a much healthier and more fulfilling response to adversity.
Dedicating ourselves to the pursuit of our goals during challenging times not only uplifts our spirits but also demonstrates resilience and character. Of course, that's easier said than done. But many still manage to pull through, so let's take a look at their inspiring achievements.
Reddit user Fronzie7 asked everyone on the platform, "Frank Sinatra said, 'The best revenge is massive success.' What's a real-life example of this?" Their post has since gone viral and now has over 2.2K comments. Here are the most memorable ones.
#1
Brendan Fraser getting the Oscar this year after being black listed from Hollywood for over a decade for speaking out about being sexually assaulted.
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718points
#2
Ron McNair had the police called on him when he was little because he was black and reading in a library. He grew up to be an astronaut and the library he was kicked out of was later named after him.
638points
We managed to get in touch with Fronzie7, and they agreed to have a little chat with us about the thread they started. "I got the inspiration for this post while browsing r/AskReddit," they told Bored Panda.
As the replies poured in, Fronzie7 started recognizing a few recurring themes, but "most of the stories involved romantic relationships."
#3
My mom. She, like the rest of her family, were all dirt poor. For them, it was traditional that they wouldn't go to college and would instead focus on finding a decent at best job as quickly as possible while also getting married and starting families young.
My mom was different. She decided instead to go to college and while she did drink on occasion, she stayed clear of the drugs that had ruined so many of her cousins lives. She told me that her entire family looked down on her and said that she was wasting her time. Well now she is currently the only one who owns a house and has a stable, well paying career. My generation of cousins saw her success and are now following in her footsteps.
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449points
#4
Tina Turner. She got away from an abusive husband with virtually no assets and went on to become a solo superstar!
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428points
#5
Italian industrialist, builder of tractors, made a mint out of it and rewarded himself with a new Ferrari.
Ferrari broke down. Needed a new clutch. Wealthy industrialist waited patiently for his new clutch to arrive, and after many weeks it finally showed up - same clutch he was putting in his tractors, more than twice the price.
A little bit annoyed at this, he rang Ferrari to complain. They told him "go back to building tractors, leave supercars to us."
And Lamborghini was born...
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406points
However, while the need for revenge can be understandable, experts say it doesn't bring us any good.
"It's not healthy, but like many other human needs, it's also normal," said Harold Takooshian, professor of psychology at Fordham University in New York.
"Like hate, revenge is something that takes a toll on the person who feels wronged, as well as the [person's] enemy. It is inherently unhealthy because it takes a psychological and physical toll on the person. Venting those feelings of anger and hostility does not decrease those feelings," he explained.
"It may give you a cathartic feeling, but it doesn't last."
#6
When Lady GaGa was in college, some of her classmates had a Facebook group called "Stefani Germanotta, you'll never be famous".
Pretty sure she proved them wrong.
388points
#7
Michael J.Fox has a great story about when he started out. Some big wheel at the network didn't like him for the role of Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. He was too short, not cute, not heart throb enough, you're never going to see his face on a lunch box. But the producer cast him anyway and the show shot to number one and stayed there.
Fox sent him a Family Ties lunch box with his face on it and then Back to the Future 1,2,3 lunch boxes.
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387points
#8
My teachers, I had several that said I would never do anything, that my learning disability was to massive of a hindrance.
Im graduating from grad school.in August. With a specialty in helping special Ed kids
Im graduating from grad school.in August. With a specialty in helping special Ed kids
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387points
For the most part, Fronzie7 agrees with this. "I think that revenge isn't always the best motivation," the Redditor said.
"In my opinion, it's better to simply focus on yourself, and it'll eventually still prove others wrong."
#9
John Gurdon was sent home from school with a report card , and on that report card was a note to his parents from the headmaster pleading with them to not let him go into the science field to waste anyone's time. “Several times he has been in trouble, because he will not listen, but will insist on doing his work in his own way. I believe he has ideas about becoming a Scientist; on his present showing this is quite ridiculous. It would be a sheer waste of time, both on his part and of those who have to teach him.” is what the report card said. Today, That report card is the only thing he has framed in his office, which is in a building that is now been named after him, after the many contributions to nuclear transplantation and cloning. He also has a nobel prize. Also he has been knighted. He has received many honors and awards in addition....... And the only thing he has framed is that report card telling him not to waste anyone's time by trying science.
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357points
#10
A very personal one. My ex was very abusive. He tried to get me to think I "am not mentally capable" of living without him (I'm disabled, but I always tested at a genius level and did decently well at work and school). So now he's gone, and I'm furthering my career and absolutely thriving.
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336points
#11
The guy who invented Ring cameras went on Shark Tank and was rejected by everyone. They all thought it would fail….we’ll you know the rest
276points
So how does someone cope with a burning desire for revenge? The first, and arguably most important, step is taking responsibility for your emotions.
By entertaining the need to hurt somebody, you're actually hurting yourself. You're allowing yourself to be hurt twice, physically and emotionally.
So it's probably best to try and let go of those feelings and seek other ways to deal with your emotions.
#12
George Lucas got the ownership of the toy rights to star wars because they don’t think it would be successful. He made an absolute killing on those.
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253points
#13
Sylvester Stallone as well. Casting agents told him he was too stupid looking and he'd only get small roles as the thug who got beaten up. He said he literally went to every casting agent in NYC and got rejected by all of them.
Even after he wrote Rocky and found producers, they didn't want him to star in it.
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247points
#14
I worked as CFO for a private company, and after 5 years of poor ownership and family-meddling I was let go with no notice or severance, while they owed me tens of thousands of dollars in back-pay, expenses, revenue share etc. I was on the verge of bankruptcy. I won my lawsuit and have a judgement against him and his company which I know I will never collect on.
7 years later I started my own company in the same competitive space. Following his most recent divorce he's about 2.7 million in debt. My company was just valued at 100 million as we move into our 4th year.
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244points
#15
Jennifer Hudson lost American Idol and became more successful than the winner.
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228points
#16
Julie Andrews was very popular as Eliza Doolittle in the stage version of *My Fair Lady*. However, when the film version was being developed, the head of Warner Bros. Studios, Jack Warner, decided that she wasn't well-known enough. They wanted a big-name star in the role, so Audrey Hepburn was cast instead, despite needing her singing to be dubbed over.
With the role no longer available, Andrews was instead took on the role of the titular character in *Mary Poppins*. The film was a **huge** critical and commercial success, and earned Andrews both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance as the magical nanny.
In her Golden Globe acceptance speech, Andrews referenced her snub for *My Fair Lady*, saying: "My thanks to a man who made a wonderful movie and who made all this possible in the first place, Mr. Jack Warner.”
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223points
#17
Harlan Ellison sent every writing award he received to one of his old professors that said he'd never be successful.
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220points
#18
Using my throwaway for this.
Been with my partner for 10 years. 10 years of gaslighting, being told that I am forgetful, pathetic and not going to ever be successful. My kids (not his) are now grown up, and at 50 I was diagnosed with ADHD and now being assessed for autism. That same year I achieved my Masters degree, and got myself medicated, and worked hard with my kids to help them onto their life paths as they became adults. This was over the last couple of years.
Little does my partner know, that I am about to kick his gaslighting, narcissistic self out and while I am now verging on poverty, having been manipulated to give up my career to support him and my kids (as he, apparently, couldn't take on any of the emotional or practical roles to assist) I can assure you, dear strangers of reddit, that in a years time I will be successful and happier than I've ever been.
Proving Sinatra right.
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215points
#19
"Groups of guitars are on the way out,” a recording executive at Decca told the Beatles in 1962. “We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.”
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200points
#20
Erin French, chef-owner of restaurant *The Lost Kitchen* in rural Maine.
Co-owned a restaurant in the town of Belfast with her husband; a very tumultuous relationship ended with him changing the locks on the building with all of her equipment inside.
She licked her wounds, leased space in an old mill building in her tiny hometown of Freedom, and built from the ground one of the best restaurants in the country, with a coveted reservation that is fabled for its difficulty to get a table. Has her own multi-season documentary on TV and is absolutely killing it in the culinary world now.
188points