Punishment as Brain Candy

I am re-reading Daniel Kahneman's powerful book, Thinking, Fast and Slow.  He refers to the work of neuroeconomists who have examined the relationship between "altruistic punishment" and brain imaging.  Altruistic punishment describes our willingness to "voluntarily incur costs to punish violators of social norms."  Kahneman refers to the 2004 article in Science that describes the research.  You can read the article here if you want more information:

http://www.cogitofoundation.ch/pdf/2004/Science305_27.8Fehr.pdf.

Kahneman summarizes the article in these words. "Remarkably, altruistic punishment is accompanied by increased activity in the 'pleasure centers' of the brain.  It appears that maintaining the social order and the rules of fairness in this fashion is its own reward" (page 308).  The authors of the cited article note how often revenge is described in terms of sensory rewards.  "Revenge is sweet."  Or, for we who are Trekkies, it is "a dish best served cold."

One of the insights of behavioral economics is that human conflict does not arise solely out of pathology in the human spirit.  In fact, many of our conflicts begin quite innocently in normal processes that get out of whack or remain naively unexamined.  When I have worked with conflicted churches, I have seen the power of altruistic punishment in stark terms.  Church members with no stake in the conflict engage in highly punishing behaviors on behalf of relative strangers simply because they think that something unfair happened.

Now I understand why they reported such behavior so often with smiles on their faces.  They were getting doses of brain candy as a fringe benefit of their work as avenging angels!

If we are hard-wired to experience pleasure-based rewards when we punish wrong-doers, what happens when that tendency is misdirected?  The consequences are clear in a conflicted church community.  What about times when this process happens purely internally?

For example, in my grieving I may be furious with God for treating me so unfairly by taking my loved one from me.  So I may "punish" God by withdrawing my affection, allegiance and trust.  I may seek to take revenge on God for mistreating me so horribly. And in an odd way, that act of punishment makes me feel better.

That, however, is not the end of it, perhaps.  That act of punishment may actually feel like a positive reward, if current neuro-imaging studies are correct.  If "revenge is sweet," what happens if I develop a revenge "sweet-tooth"?  What happens if I begin to enjoy punishing God (or anyone else, for that matter) simply because I like the neurological "taste" I get from the experience?  

I know that I had to confront myself at one point with something resembling that disturbing question.  I had moved from pain to pleasure in my anguish.  It was a subtle move, unnoticed and unnoticeable as it was happening.  But once I had made the shift, it became obvious to me.  Those moments that had been painful and that I had avoided were now moments and experiences I began (however unconsciously) to seek out.  

That's when I knew I had to go on an emotional diet.  I was reminded of the words of the lead character in the film, A Beautiful Mind.  He continued to wrestle with the demons of his delusions.  He chose, however, "not to indulge that particular appetite."  It is an apt description of the personal discipline required.  For some of us, refusing to indulge may be an individual decision.  For others, it may need to happen in the context of a support group or therapeutic relationship.

To fully disclose, I also noticed that my self-indulgence was damaging my relationships.  People who loved me were paying the price as I satisfied my perverse emotional sweet tooth.  It took a while, but that's what put me on the wagon in terms of this emotional sugar.