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The Anchorenas were (are) very conservative and when one of the sons wanted to marry the daugther of a millionaire family they opposed to the wedding considering her a "new rich inmigrant" (her parents were irish) and the couple split up.
Years later, the rejected girlfriend, Cora Kanavagh sold 3 of her homestead and ordered the construction of the largest, most massive building in all of south America at that time and chose to build it right between the mansion and the basilica, completely covering the view.
The anchorena would see the "Kavanagh building" every time they looked out the window. And now the only access to the basilica is through a small street named after her.
Long before courts and cops, our ancestors in the Pleistocene era lived in a lawless wild west. If someone stole your mammoths, you couldn’t call 911. You had to handle it yourself or risk becoming an easy target.
That’s where revenge comes in. Experts believe that revenge isn’t just a petty tantrum; it’s actually an ancient survival mechanism hardwired into our biology.
A swift and brutal payback sent a loud public message to the tribe. It protected your resources, family, and life.
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Scientists have found that the urge to get even is tied to how your DNA builds your brain’s reward system.
Certain variations change how you process dopamine after someone crosses you. For some people, their genetic makeup makes the prospect of punishing a wrongdoer feel incredibly rewarding. It might also make them more likely to hold a grudge.
Studies of related traits such as aggression, punishment behavior, and personality typically find heritability estimates ranging from about 30% to 50%.
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Historically, humanity has been split into two totally different camps when it comes to getting even.
You’ve got the peaceful school of thought, popularly summed up by the famous warning: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
On the flip side, the pro-revenge camp includes some of history’s most famous thinkers, philosophers, and texts.
The ultimate pragmatist of the Renaissance, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote a book on power (The Prince, 1513) and viewed revenge as cold, hard math.
For him, brutal payback was the only way to secure long-term peace and authority.
Even the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle linked revenge to honor and righteous anger.
#8
Nobunaga, being the military genius that he was, not only survived the pincer attack, but would go on to destroy the treacherous Azai clan who dared to stab him in the back when he least expected it. He then had Nagamasa's skull lacquered in gold to be used as a cup for drinking sake.
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Finally the father has had enough and sends 2 men to k**l her, which they do in front of one of the children.
Dude loses it, chases the murderers and rips their heart out, earning the nickname of both Just and Cruel. Legend has it he tore the heart of one killer through the front and the other through the back.
Then, he has the corpse of his lover placed on the throne. Organizes a marriage/coronation ceremony (can't remember which), forcing the entire court to kiss the corpse's hands as if recognizing their lawful portuguese queen.
For power-seekers, revenge serves as a clear warning that you are not to be trifled with. In societies where the rule of law is weak, it acts as a tool to maintain order and deter bullies.
“People who are more vengeful tend to be those who are motivated by power, by authority and by the desire for status. They don’t want to lose face,” says social psychologist Ian McKee.
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Genghis Khan then sent another ambassador mission to the shah in order to try to reconcile the situation (aka they wanted the Governor responsible) there are many conflicting reports upon what happened but all of them are bad with at least one of the ambassadors being k****d. This caused Genghis Khan declare war on them. The war swallowed the empire and destroyed it and according to conservative estimates caused the d***h of about 1-2 million people which was a heavy percentage of the population.
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Ian McKee’s study found that students who highly value authority, tradition, and social dominance are the most likely to support revenge and retribution.
People with these personality traits are naturally less forgiving and less benevolent.
They place very little value on universal connectedness or empathy. Instead, their worldview focuses strictly on hierarchy and punishment.
They also see payback as a justified tool to enforce rules and maintain social order.
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The queen then had the arms and legs cut off the consort and inserted her still living torso into a large jar of wine.
She lived for quite a while.
#15
Then towards the 1730s/1740s the Mughal governors of Panjab had a strong enough grip to exile Sikhs out of the region, leaving their shrines empty almost. The holiest site of the Sikhs - Sri Darbar Sahib (the Golden Temple) in Amritsar was taken over by Massa Ranghar, who defiled the holy site by smoking tobacco in the vicinity & having prostitutes entertain him there. Sikhs at this point were in Rajasthan state, it was a shoot on site sort of deal if any Sikhs were spotted in Panjab let alone the holy city of Amritsar. Yet still, the fearless Bhai Mehtab Singh accompanied by Bhai Sukha Singh disguised themselves as Muslim tax collectors and rode on horseback to Amritsar. Upon reaching they paid their respects to Sri Darbar Sahib before entering, once they entered they see that Ranghar is drunk. Being disguised as tax collectors they show him a bag full of gold coins, the drunk Ranghar stuck his head in the bag of coins to closely admire them. With great swiftness, Bhai Mehtab Singh took his sword out and beheaded Massa Ranghar. A fight broke out between Ranghar’s thugs and the two Sikhs but they were able to make it out and meet back with the rogue Sikh military camped out in Rajasthan. There, the Sikh army played field hockey with Ranghar’s head being the ball. Even today you can go to Rajasthan where the Budha Dal (sikh military) camped out, the tree is still there for where they played hockey with Ranghar’s head. If you go to the Golden Temple and go to the Akaal Takht museum in the complex, you will see the very sword of Bhai Mehtab Singh which was used to behead Massa Ranghar.
Culture changes what triggers your inner John Wick.
Research found that Americans get vengeful when their personal rights are violated, driven by pure anger.
Collectivist cultures (like those in Korea) get vengeful when their sense of duty and obligation is threatened. In such cultures, revenge is contagious — if you insult one person, you insult the whole tribe.
#16
How did he get his revenge? He learned mathematics (couldn't afford a tutor so he did it on his own, pretty much) and developed ballistics so the cannons could get revenge for him.
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But payback comes with a steep psychological cost.
Instead of giving you closure, studies show that getting even keeps you trapped in a cycle of overthinking. By constantly dwelling on the grudge, you keep the wound open and prolong your own unhappiness.
In an experiment, it was found that people who punished cheaters actually felt much worse than people who just let it go.
If you don’t get revenge, your brain trivializes the event and moves on.
#19
Fast forward 30 years, then look out your window.
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If vengeance makes us miserable, why are we wired this way?
Kevin Carlsmith, a social psychologist at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, says if you ask people why they seek revenge, they’re likely to tell you their goal is catharsis.
“Punishing others in this context — what they call ‘altruistic punishment’ — is a way to keep societies working smoothly. You’re willing to sacrifice your well-being in order to punish someone who misbehaved.”