Having your stuff stolen sucks, especially when it’s sentimental. The thief will never know the pilfered item’s true value and will probably sell it off for whatever they can get. There go your memories. But what if the thief is a family member and you found out?
This was the exact situation facing one netizen whose prized skillet vanished, only to turn up on their cousin’s social media feed. Determined to get their special pan back, they hatched a cunning plan and then shared their story with an online community.
More info: Reddit
Having stuff stolen from you is never nice, but this netizen was determined to get revenge on the thief
Image credits: senivpetro / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Their cousin stole their prized skillet, then was stupid enough to show it off on his social media accounts
Image credits: tonodiaz / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When the person spotted it, they were enraged and immediately hatched a cunning plan to get it back
Image credits: tonodiaz / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Enrolling the help of a friend with certain skills, they drove hours to their cousin’s place, broke in, and took the skillet back
Image credits: MUSTARDUNAVAILABLE
When their thieving relative visited them weeks later, they unveiled the skillet in spectacular fashion, leaving the criminal speechless
Some people will do anything for a beloved possession, especially when it’s stolen. OP was furious to discover that their cousin had taken a treasured skillet, a gift from an old friend of their dad’s. The worst part? They only found out through social media when their cousin posted a picture casually using the thieved item.
Their cousin lived hours away, but the trip wasn’t a deterrent for OP. Enlisting the help of a friend with certain “skills,” they drove over, knowing exactly when their cousin wouldn’t be home. With no CCTV to worry about, their friend got them inside, where they found the skillet carelessly left soaking in the sink. Mission accomplished.
Weeks later, the cousin visited, completely unaware of what had gone down. OP played it cool, waiting for the perfect moment. As their cousin chatted with friends, they staged a dramatic “discovery” of the skillet, making a big show of how it had been “miraculously found.” The cousin turned pale, clearly recognizing the pan but unable to say a word.
OP’s cousin later complained about their home being broken into but couldn’t accuse anyone of anything without admitting their own part in the drama. If they did, their parents would have been extremely mad at them. In the end, karma served up a satisfying dish—right in the very skillet that caused the whole mess.
Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels (not the actual photo)
OP’s thirst for revenge saw them taking some pretty drastic action, but it all worked out nicely in the end. The look on their cousin’s face must have been priceless, but what are the pros and cons of getting your own back? We went looking for answers.
In her article for the BBC, Melissa Hogenboom writes that revenge has been part of human behavior for almost as long as we have existed on Earth. Literature has used it throughout history, from Greek tragedies such as Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy – where Orestes wants to murder his mother to avenge his father – to Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
"It's this very pervasive experience in human lives. People from every society understand the idea of getting angry and wanting to hurt someone who has harmed you," says evolutionary psychologist Michael McCullough, who has spent over a decade studying revenge and forgiveness.
In her article for Vox, Allie Volpe writes that, in studies, when people perform retaliatory acts of aggression, there is activity in brain regions associated with reward. The satisfaction, however, is short-lived.
According to Volpe, the problem is that many people fail to predict the potential consequences of their retaliation. “People are not good at recognizing that revenge makes them feel bad,” says Fade Eadeh, assistant professor of psychology at Seattle University.
So, the next time you’re preparing an ice-cold dish of get-back, take a minute to ask yourself if it’s worth the trouble. It might just be better to take the high road and let karma catch up to the person who did you wrong. Unless they stole your sentimental skillet, that is.
What would you have done if you’d found yourself in OP’s shoes? Have you ever gotten revenge on someone who wronged you? Was it worth it, or did it ultimately backfire? Let us know in the comments!
In the comments, more than one reader said it’s a crime leaving a pan soaking in the sink, while one added revenge is a dish best served hot off a skillet
