Changing Minds with Owen Fitzpatrick The Neuroscience of Revenge with James Kimmel Jr.
Sep 15, 2025
James Kimmel Jr., a lawyer, violence researcher, and Yale psychiatry professor, dives into the science of revenge and its addictive nature. He shares his harrowing personal story of bullying and how he broke free from the cycle of violence. Kimmel distinguishes between justice and revenge, discussing how the drive for revenge can lead to widespread societal issues. He introduces his innovative Nonjustice System and Miracle Court app, designed to help people manage grudges and embrace forgiveness, revealing how forgiveness can literally rewire our brains.
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Teenage Revenge Turned Back
- James Kimmel Jr. recounts being bullied, finding his dog shot, and chasing the culprits with a loaded revolver.
- He stopped at the last second realizing killing them would make him a different person and cost more than revenge was worth.
Two Faces Of Justice
- Kimmel distinguishes two justice types: compassionate social justice and punitive 'justice' that is really revenge.
- Revenge-seeking, cloaked as justice, drives most human violence from bullying to warfare.
Revenge Mirrors Addiction In The Brain
- A grievance activates the anterior insula (pain), then revenge lights up addiction reward circuits (nucleus accumbens).
- If prefrontal control is weak, the craving for revenge can become habitual and resemble addiction.
