ITT we discuss the anthropological basis for revenge upon strangers

[StarKitty]

there must be an explanation for this phenomena.

why does the punishment of other people's violations of certain social norms give us pleasure? basically, are we seeing people with whom we have no relationship getting what the deserve, and it doesn't affect us in any direct way at all. why is it that we feel better for this display of justice?

i just don't understand how we evolved into receiving a chemical trigger of pleasure for something that has absolutely no direct connection with our genes or our social circle.

The answer to this conundrum can not be hypothsised upon without first challenging the origin of what is "right" and what is "wrong".
I wouldn't mind hearing people's personal opinions on what "Justice" is... although the only opinion that would be valid as a personal opinion would be the poster directly after myself, anyone else's would be changed by what other people have written. Social Mob Behavior.

[Subjugation]

here's the problem that made me say this was "pseudoscientific:" you cite evolutionary psychology, but i think evolutionary psychologists would generally disagree with your idea

I never mentioned a time frame, and I didn't see anything in that link to suggest that natural selection wouldn't favor revenge or justice.

Being more clear about what your criticisms are would be helpful.

[Decoy]

I could post SO much shit on this.

[ogron]

I could post SO much shit on this.

dont listen to him, he's a decoy!

[Richard Creager]

Its because life is boring so people eat that drama shit up, simply a case of not enough murderers running around to keep their lives busy and the shitty cop detective show off the television.

[K2Grey]

Note that being glad when strangers are punished for wrongdoings is linked to thinking of that people deserve what they get, and more specifically the idea that people who are badly off deserved to be that way. For example, that if you see a waiter spill something, he's a klutz, that if someone got ruined by a natural disaster, that he didn't prepare properly, that if someone is homeless, he's a lazy bum who can't be bothered to get a job, if a woman sues over sexual harassment or abuse, that she's a whore who is out to get some money on top for it, etc.

Of course when these bad things happen to you yourself you don't attribute such negative causes for it...