Why Violence & Revenge Fantasies Feel Good - James Kimmel Jr. - #989

Modern Wisdom

09/04/25

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98m

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James Kimmel Jr. is a professor at Yale, a psychiatrist, and an author.

Why are we drawn to revenge? From playground grudges to epic betrayals, the urge to strike back is universal. But is it a survival mechanism, or an ancient drive that no longer fits the modern age?

Expect to learn why the feeling of revenge exists and how it is adaptive, what the biggest triggers of the desire for revenge is, why revenge and revenge fantasies make us feel good, the difference between revenge seeking and self defence or boundary setting, if some people happen to be more vengeful than others, if you should be lauding to forgive rathe than seek revenge, the steps to move through forgiveness, and much more...

Timestamps:

(0:00) Choosing to Not Choose Revenge

(7:57) Why Do We Feel Desire for Revenge?

(11:39) What are the Biggest Drivers of Revenge?

(15:06) How Do We Recover from Revenge Seeking?

(21:40) Is There a Connection Between Addictive Behaviour and Revenge?

(24:47) The Difference Between Revenge-Seeking and Self-Defence

(33:17) The Muddling of Justice and Revenge

(43:46) Revenge Isn’t Evil, It’s Retribution

(50:35) What Outcomes Drive Revenge?

(56:48) The Legal System is a Professional Revenge Business

(58:36) The Cycle of Revenge on Social Media

(01:06:50) What is Social Justice?

(01:09:10) Are Certain Groups More Susceptible to Revenge?

(01:14:55) Warning Signs for Revenge Desire

(01:19:12) Strategies to Stop Revenge Desire

(01:21:13) What Does Modern Revenge and Forgiveness Culture Look Like?

(01:34:43) Find Out More About James

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Previous Episode

Brain Surgeon: Inside The Dreaming Brain - Dr Rahul Jandial - #988

September 1, 2025

•

125m

Dr Rahul Jandial is a brain surgeon, neuroscientist, and an author.

Why do we dream? For centuries, people have debated their meaning. Are they hidden messages, random brain activity, or something else entirely? Today, modern neuroscience is uncovering how the brain creates, processes, and remembers dreams, and what they may reveal about the inner workings of the mind.

Expect to learn why we dream and the evolutionary importance of dreaming, what predicts a good or bad dream, and if there are any types of universal dreams we al have, what fuels erotic dreams and what effects does porn have on our dreaming abilities and content, if there is any practical science behind lucid dreaming, the biggest myths about the brain and the best diets and exercises to keep your brain healthy, what role lifestyle really plays in cognitive decline and how much is genetic, and much more...

Timestamps:

(0:00) The Importance of Comfort in Your Working Environment

(5:09) Things You Believe are True But Can’t Prove

(10:13) Did Freud Get Anything Right About Dreams?

(13:41) Why Do We Dream?

(20:50) Why are We Conscious of Our Dreams?

(28:22) Why Do We Have Nightmares?

(35:51) Should We Remember Our Dreams?

(39:21) Do Our Dreams Correlate to Our Overall Health?

(41:20) How Real is Dream Interpretation?

(44:54) What Do We Know About Erotic Dreams?

(57:54) How Does Porn Effect Our Dreams?

(01:01:40) Where Does Inspiration for Dream Material Come From?

(01:05:47) How Can We Activate Our Imagination?

(01:09:07) Transcranial Electric Treatments

(01:14:39) The Benefits of Awake Brain Surgery

(01:20:29) How Dreams Differ in Brain Injuries

(01:22:42) Can Thoughts in Dreams Be More Real Than Waking Thoughts?

(01:26:12) Brain Myth-Busting

(01:30:53) Is the Neuroscience Industry Overselling Tech?

(01:34:07) The Contributing Elements of Cognitive Decline

(01:45:22) The Impact of Stress on Brain Aging

(01:57:29) Mind-Blowing Scientific Scenarios

(02:00:51) Lessons Learnt from Terminal Patients

(02:04:36) Find Out More About Rahul

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Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

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Next Episode

How to Use Your Intuition as a Superpower - Dr Tara Swart - #990

September 6, 2025

•

84m

Dr Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, senior lecturer at MIT Sloan, and an author.

What is intuition? We’ve all heard the phrase “trust your gut,” but where does that feeling actually come from? Is it grounded in neuroscience or something more mysterious? And most importantly, can you rely on it, and how do you get better at listening to it?

Expect to learn what it means to trust your instincts and what really mean “trust your gut” actually means and comes from, how to tell the difference between anxiety-driven thoughts and genuine intuitive insight, what role inflammation plays when it comes to brain function, why you should be focusing on the importance of connective fascia tissue, if there really is a metaphysical element to intuition and much more...

Timestamps:

(0:00) Why Do We Ignore Our Instincts?

(2:05) Choosing What Feels Right Over What is Right

(6:14) Is There a Difference Between Instincts and Intuition?

(8:11) What is the Serotonin Hypothesis?

(11:53) How Can We Determine What Feels Right?

(21:27) When Logic, Intuition and Emotion Clash

(23:34) Which Archetypes Struggle with Intuition?

(28:35) The Effect of Brain and Gut Health on Intuition

(36:21) How Do Relationships Impact Our Intuition?

(43:18) The Benefits of Gratitude Practice

(51:13) How to Train Yourself to Listen to Your Intuition