Cultures of Rage and Revenge

Articolo pubblicato in "Colle al tempo di Dante. Contributi per il 750° anniversario della battaglia di Colle di Val d’Elsa (1269-2019) raccolti e pubblicati in occasione del VII centenario della morte di Dante Alighieri (1321-2021)", a cura di G. Baldini, C. Bastianoni, S. Busini, Ospedaletto (Pisa), Pacini Editore, 2022

A discussion is conducted with regard to the phenomenon of rage that represents a more degenerated form of blatant anger that is often engaged by those who have deteriorated their state of organic consciousness to what is commonly referred to as narcissism. Accordingly, rage is more prevalent to individuals that suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), and is thus, appropriately referred to as the ‘narcissistic rage’ that is eventuated when a narcissist is deprived of receiving his-her usual ‘narcissistic supplies,’ referring to a set of expected praises, admirations, adorations and such that narcissists constantly expect to receive from their spouses, family members, friends and close associates. This is thought to generate a sense of insecurity in a narcissist who suddenly perceives he-she is no longer appreciated as a superior and grandiose individual above all others that ultimately leads to narcissistic rage as the narcissist begins to act either passively-aggressively (pertinent to covert or vulnerable narcissists) or outright aggressively and even violently involving open expressions of outbursts of anger and rage (pertaining to overt or grandiose narcissists). In particular, the problem of rage is often exacerbated when a narcissist is confronted and the question of his-her superiority and grandiosity is challenged that seems to create what is referred to as a ‘narcissistic injury’ giving rise to a ‘narcissistic wound’ to the narcissist who is suddenly afflicted with a case of shame and utter humiliation, and tries to devise a way (either covertly and passively-aggressively or overtly and outright aggressively) to redeem its days of narcissistic glory with notions of grandiosity and self-superiority over others. In either case, this often leads to narcissistic rage, even degenerated further to the status of narcissistic wrath when the narcissist contemplates on taking revenge on those he-she now considers as culprits and perceived as his-her adversaries and enemies, which is often carried out either covertly (so-called vulnerable narcissist) or overtly (grandiose narcissist). And, upon repetitions of such episodes, narcissistic injury-wound may become exacerbated, leaves a permanent ‘narcissistic scar’ upon the narcissist that is much more difficult to treat and heal. In any case, the rude awakening of having fallen from grace as a superior and grandiose individual as well as the anxiety, fear, or even dread that is accompanied by such a grossly shamed and humiliated individual, may lead to ‘narcissistic mortification’ that eventually will lead to ‘narcissistic collapse’ in which the individual who now finds it very difficult to carry on with his-her life, is afflicted with much depressions and lack of self-esteem and lack of self-worthiness, and even self-loathing, with the individual either contemplating on suicide or resorting to addictions of all kinds (drug, alcohol, excessive expenditure of money by acting as a shopaholic, irresponsible and careless driving, road rage, callous abusive treatment of others, etc.) in order to find a modicum of temporary relief from his-her anxieties, fear of failures, pains and sufferings, etc. And, to many, it often ends with a narcissistic collapse in which the person becomes plagued with so much personality disorder that is unable to continue on unless he-she can set things back to the good old days of his-her self-perceived grandiosity and superiority. As a result, many narcissists take the approach of ‘magical thinking’ in which they picture themselves being pampered and showered with admirations and adorations akin to what they received from their mis-guided parents or childhood guardians. Accordingly, in this manuscript, the problem of narcissism or Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is discussed, making references to both the overt and covert narcissists and their characteristic behaviors. Then, a brief discourse with regard to the phenomenon of humiliation and its pathological effects is presented. Furthermore, the subjects of narcissistic injury-wound-scar as well as narcissistic mortification, all leading to narcissistic collapse, is expounded upon. Finally a discourse is presented with regard to narcissistic rage, its cause, and possible treatment.

Are retributive emotions always reprehensible? Don't feelings like anger, rage, and the demand for compensation and justice also need to be given their space and meaning in processes of moral repair and reconciliation? And what can literature and the arts bring to the discourse on vengeance and ‘bad’ emotions? We will discuss questions like these at our conference "Let's Talk About Revenge! Retributive Emotions, Justice, and Moral Repair" in July 2022 at the Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen (KWI)

In general, the legal rights of women in Asia are ignored. The paper provides anecdotal evidence of “young, beautiful” women in several Asian countries who have been the targets of acid attacks by angry men and women over personal issues. Battery acid is the weapon of choice. The acid attacks intentionally transform these women from “beautiful” to “ugly.” Most of the victims are alone and poor, and youth and beauty may be their only assets. The courts of law, however, blame the victims’ beauty and wile for initiating the circumstances that result in their suffering. The attackers generally go free. The story of Miss Som Rasmey of Cambodia is introduced as one example. The discussion digresses from the brutal particulars of the acid attacks to a naive question: “Why is there so much battery acid around, anyway?” This question leads to the conclusion that the attack on Miss Som Rasmey is collateral damage linked to the global conspiracy of economic growth (globalization). Economic gro...

It is often said today that we live in the “Age of Rage.” This article explores
the phenomenon of modern rage through an analysis of the psychic conflicts
of Dostoevsky’s “underground man,” as he tries to reconcile the newly
imported values of modernity with his own needs and desires. By interpreting
rage through the classic Greek notion of the daimonic, the author examines
how the modern attempt to rationally control and suppress rage actually
exacerbates the underground man’s destructive, cruel, and self-defeating
behavior and cuts him off from the possibility of emotional connectivity
and wholeness. He concludes by pointing to some therapeutic possibilities
within the tradition of existential psychotherapy that might have allowed the
underground man to better understand and heal himself by recognizing the
daimonic roots of his own rage.

My MA Thesis charts Homer’s Iliad as a song of thumoresistance. I mean the very intersection of thumos and stasis. Thumos means heart, spirit, rage, bravery and is understood to be the courageous part of the Ancient Greek psyche. Stasis implies civil strife—a radical rupture with the organization of political power—an event which needs to occur for structural changes to manifest. Stasis, as contestation and conflict is politics as such. I have deeper interests in producing a strong, albeit polemic, argument that affirms and extenuates Ancient forms of rage, dissent and courageous action.
It is in the points of resonance between Menis, Thumos and Stasis, that I locate brave, courageous and enraged modes that engage and produce political crises. I am examining liberatory, revolutionary acts of thumotic resistance/stasis (individual/heroic and collective rage), as essential parts of Ancient Greek life. Affirming menis, thumos and stasis, as I feel the need to do, will strengthen critique Plato for being anti-democratic, anti-collective decision-making, against the capacity for courageous and spited action, and against political rage and politics as such. The object of my analysis is Homer’s Iliad, the tradition of militant rage that persists in the Bronze Age that was carried though in song well throughout 4th Century Democratic Athens. Over the course of this paper I will come to see Achilles not only as a flat warrior-model, but as a thumo-resisting hero who creates a legitimate and ethical stasis against the rule of the tyrant Agamemnon, and also a parrhesiastes. In addressing the dense network of themes I just described, I will be making close readings of the Ancient Greeks, including Homer, Solon, Plato, Aristotle and their interpreters: Peter Sloterdijk, Kostas Kalimtzis, Gregory Nagy, Michel Foucault, Leonard Muellner, DL Cairns and Glen Most.

ABSTRACT

In general, the legal rights of womenin Asia are ignored. The paper provides anecdotal evidence of “young, beautiful” women in several Asian countries who have been the targets of acid attacks by angry men and women over personal issues. Battery acid is the weapon of choice. The acid attacks intentionally transform these women from “beautiful” to “ugly.” Most of the victims are alone and poor, and youth and beauty may be their only assets. The courts of law, however, blame the victims’ beauty and wile for initiating the circumstances that result in their suffering. The attackers generally go free. The story of Miss Som Rasmey of Cambodia is introduced as one example. The discussion digresses from the brutal particulars of the acid attacks to a naive question: “Why is there so much battery acid around, anyway?” This question leads to the conclusion that the attack on Miss Som Rasmey is collateral damage linked to the global conspiracy of economic growth (globalization). Economic growth ideology continues to spread the insidious mantra that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” This is an article of faith in market fundamentalism that promotes the spread of Walt Rostow’s capitalist manifesto (Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto,1960) around the world. In spite of massive anecdotal evidence of the negative impact of Rostow’s “stages of economic growth” at the local level in so-called “developing countries,” it is an economic planning model that growth ideologues continue to embrace as its influence expands.

KEY WORDS:
women, social justice, industrial development, Asia

“‘To give an account of a belief in a society, . . . you have to give an account of an individual person in the society’.”—Richard Shweder, Cultural Psychologist

The essay deals with the strong conflicts which characterized the aristocratic Italian society at the end of XVI century. Feuds, blood feuds and banditry were the most visible aspects of a period which was hallmarked by a considerable enforcement of state authorities.

What was the real story behind Buondelmonte de’ Buondelmonti’s condemnation, attributed to Cacciaguida in Paradiso, xvi, 136–147? The major Florentine chronicles of Dante’s era (Compagni) and thenceforth (Villani, Stefani) paint a picture of an innocent Buondelmonte, barbarously assassinated thanks to the homicidal rage of his peers – the magnates. However, the harsh treatment of Buondelmonte in the Commedia is the result of the character Cacciaguida (and therefore Dante) adhering to the noble/magnate ethos found in many contemporary sources (for example the chronicle by the pseudo-Brunetto Latini). Indeed, only at a later date would the Popolo’s ethos, expressed in the works of Compagni, Villani and Stefani, become the ‘definitive’ version.

Like Plato, I divide the soul into parts according to the sorts of inner conflicts we can experience as human beings. I come up with five: mind, body, heart, ego and spirit. Each part thinks it should rule the roost. The job of the mortal secular soul is to see this does not happen.