The age-old adage, “revenge is a dish best served cold,” suggests that the most satisfying acts of vengeance are those that are carefully planned and executed after a significant delay. This proverb implies a calculated approach to retaliation, allowing time for anger to cool and strategy to sharpen. However, new research challenges this widely accepted notion, proposing that when it comes to revenge, people might actually prefer it “hot and ready.”
A compelling study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) delves into the human preference for immediate versus delayed revenge. Published in the journal Motivation Science, the study, titled “Some Revenge Now or More Revenge Later? Applying an Intertemporal Framework to Retaliatory Aggression,” presents findings from six experiments involving over 1,500 participants. These experiments consistently revealed a strong inclination towards immediate retaliatory actions, even if it meant a lesser degree of revenge compared to a larger, delayed retribution.
“Our findings suggest that people prefer a ‘hot-and-ready’ form of revenge, instead of a cold, calculated and delayed approach to vengeance,” explains Dr. David Chester, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology at VCU and director of VCU’s Social Psychology and Neuroscience Lab. This lab is dedicated to understanding the underlying motivations behind harmful interpersonal behaviors. According to Chester, the study indicates a fundamental human tendency to favor swift responses to perceived wrongs.
The Urge for Immediate Retaliation
The study’s core experiments were designed to present participants with choices between immediate, smaller acts of revenge and delayed, larger ones. In one experiment, participants engaged in a virtual video game scenario where they believed they were competing against a real opponent. After experiencing provocation within the game, they were given the option to inflict a minor noise blast on their opponent immediately or a more intense blast the following day. The results consistently showed a preference for the immediate, albeit less severe, retaliation.
Another experiment placed participants in a virtual chat room setting. They were intentionally excluded from the majority of the conversation, simulating a social slight. Subsequently, these participants were given the opportunity to decide how long one of the chat participants who excluded them would have to endure immersing their hand in painfully cold water. Again, the inclination towards enacting immediate, though potentially less impactful, discomfort was evident.
However, the researchers also discovered that this preference for immediate revenge is not absolute. Dr. Samuel West, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow with the Injury and Violence Prevention Program at VCU Health, highlighted a crucial element that could shift this preference. “We were able to shift participant preferences toward the delayed-but-greater choices using various experimental provocations,” West stated. Specifically, when participants were prompted to intensely ruminate on past provocations, their desire for a larger, albeit delayed, revenge increased. This suggests that dwelling on grievances can fuel a desire for more significant retribution, even if it requires patience.
When Cold Revenge Gains Appeal
Furthermore, the study revealed that individuals with certain personality traits are more inclined to favor delayed revenge. Participants who demonstrated a preference for delayed-but-greater revenge also exhibited higher levels of antagonistic traits such as sadism and angry rumination. This implies that for some individuals, the anticipation and planning of a more substantial act of revenge can be more appealing, particularly if they derive pleasure from the suffering of others or tend to dwell on anger.
Interestingly, the researchers found that for these individuals, the allure of revenge was even stronger than that of monetary rewards. “Participants in our studies who displayed a preference for delayed-but-greater revenge were more willing to wait for their desired revenge than they were monetary rewards,” West noted. This highlights the potent motivational force that revenge can hold, surpassing even financial incentives for certain individuals.
Challenging Conventional Wisdom
These findings challenge the conventional wisdom embodied in the proverb “Revenge Is Best Served Cold,” at least for the majority of people. Dr. Chester suggests that the preference for immediate revenge aligns with a basic human desire for proportionate and timely responses to wrongdoing. This immediate retaliation serves to teach provocateurs that their actions have consequences.
“Yet when provocations become so severe that we ruminate about them over and over again, or when people provoke the ‘wrong person’ (i.e., a person with antagonistic personality traits), revenge may just become a dish best served cold,” Chester concedes. In essence, while immediate revenge may be the more common preference, the adage holds true in specific contexts, particularly when dealing with severe offenses or individuals predisposed to calculated vengeance.
This pioneering research provides a systematic examination of the temporal dynamics of aggression, offering valuable insights into the psychology of revenge. By exploring the intertemporal framework of retaliatory behavior, the VCU study contributes to a deeper understanding of human aggression and antisocial tendencies. It prompts us to reconsider our understanding of revenge and the factors that influence our choices when faced with provocation, suggesting that while the proverb may capture a certain aspect of revenge, the reality is far more nuanced and often leans towards the immediacy of a “hot” response.
