Name any soap opera, or reality show, and it will surely have the plotline twist devoted to revenge. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise. People are motivated to seek revenge — to pay someone back who has done something to them — when they feel attacked, mistreated or socially rejected.
Part of us thinks it will provide us with some closure, another part needs an emotional release, while the rest has a deep urge to restore our dignity or stature. Having said that, revenge is not always as rewarding as people expect. After all, it may involve risk, and largely dwells on lack of self-control.
But in order to really see what motivates people to act as if it was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” we have to look at real-life examples. “What was your finest moment of revenge?” asked someone on Ask Reddit, and people confessed their stories. We selected some of the most interesting and thought-provoking answers below that will make us reflect on the very nature of revenge.
#1
When I was 11 years old, I was bullied by a 12 year old boy. He would steal things from my lunch every day. I got sick of it and decided to do something about it. One day, I brought a super hot pepper in my lunch and pretended to be really excited about it. Sure enough, the boy comes over, snatches it from my hand and pops it in his mouth.
He practically exploded in pain. Writhing around the floor, unable to handle the heat.
I calmly looked at him and told him that drinking a nice glass of cold water would help immensely. He did so. This promptly magnified the pain 100x.
He never stole food from me again.
I regret nothing.
Report
0points
#2
My ex-fiancee walked out on me a week before the wedding.
I later married a a great girl, became much wealthier, and about to have a kid.
Meanwhile, I heard she's still living in her parents apartment and is actively looking online for dates.
The best revenge is living a *better* life without her, and that is what I did.
Report
0points
#3
I ground up laxatives and tainted all my kitchen fridge food with it to figure out which of my seven room mates was eating all my food, while I survived off a secret stash in my mini-fridge.
I found out who did it. Very, very quickly.
Report
0points
#4
Telling a group of baseball bullies that were picking on my younger brother that Snape kills Dumbledore in Half -Blood Prince after realizing they had all just started it.
Report
0points
#5
This one comes to mind because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was out snow-blowing the driveway one day. Some dude who is a friend of my sister's walks up to me and throws a snowball at me. He then gave that look like "What are you gonna do about it man?" and laughed, putting his hands up as if to go "ohhhhhhh!!"
Dude? Do you not see this large snow-moving device I am pushing around?
Only took several seconds to completely coat him in snow, and the look of defeat on his face was glorious!
Report
0points
#7
There was a guy in high school who was a complete a*s to me, for a couple years. I decided to exact revenge via magazine. I went to the school library and pulled subscription cards out of every female magazine I could get my hands on, and a few strange ones like Psychology Today and Architectural Digest, and filled out cards in his name, with his address, and checked "bill me later"
I overheard him complaining a few months later how he kept getting all these magazines he never ordered and it was getting irritating.
Score.
Report
0points
#8
When I was 12 years old, a kid beat me up at a birthday party for reasons unknown. 4 years later, the kid is a pitcher (and a very good one at that) for his school in the playoffs. I was playing for the other team. After going 0-3 to start the game, I hit a walk-off home run off of him to advance to the next round. Kid actually started crying on the mound. I don't think I've ever had a bigger smile than I did in that moment. Still have the ball in my apartment at college.
Report
0points
#9
Late to the party... But here's mine In high school one of my best friends started dating my ex boyfriend the day after we broke up... Which happened to be my 16th birthday. So then and there I decided to ruin her sweet sixteen. I just wasn't sure how. Fast forward three months. She planned an extravagant birthday party and played hookie from school the Friday before the big party to prepare. This was my opportunity. I told everyone at school that she had gotten the flu, and was postponing the party (hence why she wasn't in school). We were neighbors so everyone bought it. The next day she got all dolled up, arrived at her sweet 16 party in a large rented ballroom only to spend the entire party with her mom and little sister, not one person showed up. Looking back it was terrible and mean, but to a 16 year old girl I felt she broke sacred girl code, and that's never okay TL;DR: a birthday for a birthday leaves the whole world sad
Report
0points