The Root Of All Revenge Is Corporal Punishment

Punishment doesn’t teach any problem resolution skills.

I see revenge everywhere in the media. In the movies, like all of the Marvel Universe movies, as an example. The protagonist is minding his own business when suddenly, the antagonist jumps out to bite the protagonist for some long forgotten, past misunderstanding. Melee ensues. A series of tit-for-tat exchanges are weaved throughout the plot until the climax of the movie.

In the climax of every action movie I’ve seen, including the Marvel Universe movies, it’s pretty much the same. The antagonist is met with overwhelming force by the protagonist and his allies. The antagonist is then dispatched through a huge battle, usually killed off, or sent to some isolated region of the country, prison, the planet, or the universe. No judge, no jury no trial.

I see revenge in TV, too. All of the cop shows are about revenge for the perp. All of the action shows feature some sort of act of revenge. It’s actually rather hard for me to name an exception. Even in comedy shows, sarcasm is the norm and that is a very subtle form of revenge.

I see revenge in social media, too. I just can’t believe the incredible bile that Hillary supporters, now Biden supporters, have for Bernie Sanders. Even in their crusade, it’s all about beating Trump in the next election. That’s revenge. Yes, Trump is doing some not very nice things in the eyes of liberals. But it is possible that Trump has a good intention somewhere under his magnificent hair. It’s possible that Trump believes he is doing the right thing.

I’ve seen huge knockdown, drag out fights with words in social media over little things, too. Under the veneer of anonymity, people can be spiteful, vengeful, hateful and vindictive. I’ve seen them lash out ferociously at anyone who questions their authority.

I believe that I’m living in a culture that is fairly obsessed with revenge. And for a long time now, I’ve been wondering where that comes from. I’m pretty sure I have the answer now: the corporal punishment we got as kids. Even recent studies show that better than 90% of American kids have been spanked at least once by their parents.

Every spanking is an act of revenge. Every blow to the body of a defenseless child is an act of revenge. And every act of revenge against a child is a sign of a lack of self-control by a parent who is telling the story of what happened to him or…