The World’s Deadliest Addiction Is Popping Up on Brain Scans. And It’s Not Even a Drug.
The World’s Deadliest Addiction Is Popping Up on Brain Scans. And It’s Not Even a Drug.
The article posits that revenge is a powerful behavioral addiction, with neuroscientific evidence showing that the desire for vengeance activates the same pleasure and reward circuits in the brain as addictive drugs. This impulse is identified as the root cause of most human violence, from personal disputes to mass atrocities. The author suggests treating violence as a public health issue by understanding its addictive nature and promoting forgiveness as a neurological 'wonder drug' that can deactivate the brain's pain networks and restore rational thinking.
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the research study prompt about the friends and the dog is harrowing!
i haven't thought to describe vengeance as a drug before, but it's effects in our society where it feels like political decisions have turned into violent ordeals where one side must win seem to deliver on the claim.
i like the antidotes of forgiveness, letting go and moving on. difficult to do, but much more powerful than the empty promise of revenge providing true closure.
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