Revenge corrupts the mind in many ways. From making us feel unsatisfied, to even acting against others, revenge can make us skip over our usual norms and morals to get back at something or someone.

Through the article, “Revenge and the people who seek it”, Michael Price teaches readers about how revenge can consume us. Price gives an example of a survey recorded by Kevin Carlsmith; as a result, Carlsmith found that people who didn’t act upon their vengeful feelings were able to let go of the event easier, while those who act upon their feelings, find it’s extremely hard to forget about these moments and constantly about the event. Some people lose themselves due to their bloodthirsty feelings of vengeance. Price quotes Carlsmith, “‘Rather than providing closure, it does the opposite: It keeps the wound open and fresh,’ he says.”

Likewise, in The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne illustrates Chillingworth as a man with vengeful feelings against Dimmesdale, causing him to become enslaved to his vengeful feelings. Once Dimmesdale had died, Chillingworth had no reason to live and died.

Through another article called, “The Benefits, Costs, and Paradox of Revenge”, by Karina Schumann and Michael Ross educates readers about the variety of disadvantageous psychological outcomes from revenge. The authors list, “depression, as well as reduced life satisfaction, […] post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and psychiatric morbidity…”(Schumann and Ross 5). In addition the authors say, “…reductions in revenge motivations on a given day were related to greater life satisfaction…”(Schumann and Ross 5) Schumann and Ross also point out that revenge also affects the recipient. It may cause feelings of regret or shame for the vengeful person and/or the recipient.

Similarly, in The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale had felt a lot of shame and guilt when Chillingworth kept on bothering him about knowing his secret. This caused Dimmesdale even go so far as yelling when he went to go see Hester on the scaffold, hoping someone would notice him so he could be punished.