Why did the urge for revenge evolve in human beings?

Question

I can understand, say, fight or flight as a survival mechanism, but harbouring a desire for revenge over a long period seems to serve no purpose that would immediately benefit the individual, at least in terms of natural selection and passing on genes. Why has it survived?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

some good comments here!!
there could also be an element of revenge being learnt from forms of justice through the ages. from the earliest civilisations there have been some form of law and order, and consequences for perceived deviance from the norm. so people also tend to create there own little world of justice and law and order, and consider themselves justified in taking steps to even the balance.....?

Answer 2

I think it arises from ego.

That someone hurt me or hurt my feelings.... and Thus I need to get even with him to satisfy my ego

Answer 3

Because it killed all it's enemies, before they could kill it.

Answer 4

I believe that revenge evolved along side ego.
When someones ego is damaged through insult or a beating they often want to pay that back. I'm very much guilty of this.
Ego serves a purpose in group dynamics but yeah you're right revenge seems pointless.
Perhaps it's an evolutionary mistake.

Answer 5

probably something like this:
some one steals your food so you go and beat them up as revenge. that person is now less likely to wrong you again, thus you will have more food and have a higher chance of survival.

i would say many species exhibit this behaviour, particularly in terms of mating where some animals will kill or chance off any other male who attempted to mate with "their" females.

Answer 6

Yes - I agree with the answer alluding to justice.

Maintaining your position in the social hierarchy is very much about asserting yourself and retaliating against perceived injustice.

To allow an adversary to get the better of you - especially if in the public arena - and not seek revenge would surely mark you out as a weak target. So seeking revenge would be part of maintaining you position in society.

Of course, an unbalanced reaction - an unjust one, so to speak - would mark you out as different and dangerous in another way. So there would be an incentive to be proportionate in retaliation - to avoid being outcast I guess.

Source(s):

Just some ramblings...

Answer 7

I understand that revenge has evolved as it's thought to be be beneficial from the point of view of a social community.

If someone is going round doing bad stuff, it's ultimately good for everyone local if he's stopped.
The individual giving out the act of revenge may not get any immediate benefit at all... but, in future, the genuine possibility of a revenge attack might discourage bad behaviour and encourage cooperation within the community.
This then makes the community as a whole stronger which may give the community a minor but key advantage over other local communities in terms of survival and natural selection.