Dr. Phil McGraw is tackling the neuroscience of retribution in his latest primetime special, airing Thursday, June 12 at 8:00 PM ET on Merit Street. The episode, titled The Science of Revenge: The World’s Deadliest Addiction, features guest expert James Kimmel, Jr., a Yale School of Medicine lecturer in psychiatry whose work zeroes in on how the human brain processes grudges and what, if anything, can be done about it.
Kimmel, whose book The Science of Revenge examines revenge as a behavioral addiction, joins Dr. Phil to explore how our brains are hardwired for retaliation—activating the same pathways tied to pleasure and pain. Together they examine how social structures tend to reinforce cycles of retribution rather than break them. The episode also digs into Kimmel’s novel “Non-Justice System” as a framework for letting go of grievances.
As usual, Dr. Phil keeps the tone plain-spoken and relatable, even when wading into heady material. The topic should resonate with anyone who’s ever nursed a grudge—which, let’s be honest, is most of us.
“Dr. Phil Primetime” airs on Merit Street.
