Revenge is a dish best served cold… and petty. When they go low, you go to the depths of the kindergarten playground to come up with a childish yet iconic act of “an eye-for-an-eye” that kicks back in the most satisfying way possible!
People have been boasting about their pettiest acts of revenge, and many are too brilliant not to share. Like the person who schooled a bad parker by leaving a coloring book on their windscreen, along with a note reminding them to stay between the lines. Or the pizza delivery guy who nicked 6 pieces of a customer’s 1,500-piece puzzle in response to not getting a tip.
Bored Panda has compiled a list of the best ones to inspire anyone who is sick of waiting for karma to come around. Sit back, keep scrolling, and don’t forget to upvote the ones you plan to use in the future.
#1 Petty? Yes. Satisfying? Definitely. Handwriting? Horrible
Image source: CommanderApparent
It’s human nature to want to return the favor when someone does something for you. Kindness begets kindness. But meanness can also be like popcorn kernels in the microwave. When someone does something nasty, those on the receiving end might be inspired to pop off with an unkind deed of their own.
“The pull of returning the action performed towards us is so strong because it has been crucial to our evolutionary progress,” explains Danny Greeves, a UK-based physiotherapist and behavioural change coach specializing in resolving resentment.
Greeves adds that revenge and pettiness both trigger the law of obligation, otherwise known as reciprocity: the practice of exchanging things for mutual benefit.
#2 After Years Of This Guy Using My Email As A Spam Account, I Got My Revenge. He Signed Up For Siriusxm Which Also Gives Me The Ability To Beep His Horn
Image source: F3nman
#3 A Disgruntled Painter And Decorator Who Claims He Is Owed £500 For His Work Has Taken Revenge – By Leaving A Message On The Side Of An Old Pub He Had Worked On
Image source: reddit.com
“Reciprocity is one of the universal principles which creates automatic, unconscious responses. It is the principle of mutual exchange,” Greeves says, adding that human beings once relied on other people to assist us through fair exchange so that we could get things done and get our basic needs met.
In the same way we want to return kind favors, so too do some of us want to get back at those who do us wrong.
“It’s our animalistic pride that wants us to be seen and perceived as being right,” the expert explains. “It’s much easier to reply with a petty action to balance the scales than it is to engage in a dialogue and find common ground.”
#4 Trash Trompe-L’œil – Neighbor Anonymously Reported Us To The City Because Our Trash Cans Were Not Behind A Barrier. Now They Are
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#5 Neighbor Refuses To Move Rubbish
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#6 Revenge Of The Scooters
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While some see pettiness as a negative trait, others consider it so good that it’s almost addictive.
“For those who enjoy the game of competition and ‘one-downing’ others, pettiness can be very rewarding,” says California-based clinical psychologist Carla Marie. “The dopamine centers in the brain can register that act of being petty as a rewarding and ‘to-be-repeated’ behavior.”
#7 That’s Wild Revenge
Image source: fesshole
#8 No One Will Have It
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#9 Waited Almost 40 Years, Love That Level Of Petty
Image source: fesshole
A writer who goes by the name OxKaiyuu on paragraph.com cleverly describes petty revenge as “the dark chocolate of human emotions – a little bitter, a little sweet, and surprisingly satisfying.”
They go on to explain that petty revenge is about restoring a sense of control.
“When someone wrongs us, especially in a seemingly minor way, it can trigger feelings of powerlessness. Revenge, even the petty kind, allows us to reclaim that power,” they write, adding that it’s not necessarily about causing serious harm; it’s about rebalancing the scales.
#10 My Buddy Is A Dodgers Fan. I’m A Giants Fan. We Had A Friendly $20 Bet On Who Would Win The NLDS. Here Is The $20 I Will Be Giving Him Monday
Image source: Gharrrrrr
#11 The Height Of Pettiness Seen In A UK Car Park Today
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#12 My Wife Started A New Job 2 Weeks Ago And Today She Saw This In The Office Kitchen
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If it seems you’ve felt both good and bad all at once after taking revenge on someone, you aren’t imagining it.
“As you instigate the retaliation, there’s actually an increase in negative emotions, but as a consolation, you also get an increase in positive emotions at the same time,” explains Dr. David Chester, associate professor of social psychology and director of the Social Psychology and Neuroscience Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University. “You’re feeling upset, but you’re also feeling good, and those feelings are intertwined in this ambivalent kind of state.”
#13 Is This A Genius Way To Cope With Post-Divorce Awkwardness, Or Just A Chaotic Mix Of Revenge And Humor?
Image source: fesshole
#14 This Guy Just Eats Everyone’s Treats. Tomorrow Will Be A Surprise For Him
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#15 Talking Trash About Another Man’s Car, That’s Low
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But many experts argue that revenge is merely a temporary fix and can do more damage in the long term.
“If revenge were truly cathartic, we would feel lighter once it was done. Yet what happens instead is a kind of psychological looping. Rather than releasing us from anger, revenge ties us more tightly to it,” reads the All About Psychology site.
It goes on to explain that this looping is as a result of something called rumination, which is the mental habit of replaying painful events.
#16 Shut Up & Take My Money
Image source: Heather4815
#17 Revenge
Image source: TheFigen_
#18 Nice Thinking
Image source: lulukitty2112
Instead of our act of revenge healing a wound, it often does the opposite.
“Each time we think about the person who hurt us or what we did in return, the emotional wound is reopened,” explains the site. “We re-experience the anger, the humiliation, and the sense of injustice that first triggered the desire to retaliate.”
In other words, when we take revenge, we give the other person power over us and a permanent role in our mental landscape.
#19 That’s Hilarious
Image source: SerLannister
#20 KFC Don’t Play
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#21 What’s The Best Way To Deal With That Person In Your Life Without Seeming Petty? You’re Welcome
Image source: SeenSomeThangs
Dr. Chester agrees, saying that because revenge provides us with a dopamine hit, it’s often followed by a crash, which can happen within just a few minutes.
“There’s a hangover that kicks in quickly,” he says. “Your nice little buzz or heightened positive affect fades fast, but the negative emotions, which were also heightened when you were hurting the person, will stick around and are quite durable.”
#22 I Hate This Person
This guy is obsessed with parking outside his house. I’ve since moved my car right up to the bin so he can’t get back in when he comes back. I reported him to the council a while back and they wrote to him and he stopped. Guess he’s started up again.
Image source: fatmackey
#23 Merry Christmas From This Person’s House To (Almost) Everybody…
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#24 Hard To Walk Barefoot
Image source: whereyouatdesmondo
Revenge, like one too many drinks, can leave you feeling worse once the buzz wears off. And that’s why experts like Dr. Chester suggest you take a moment to pause the next time you’re tempted to be vengeful.
“While it’s a normal thing to want revenge, it’s not ever a good idea to go about it from a psychological standpoint,” he says. “Taking revenge does not free you from the act that provoked you in the first place. Instead, it actually cements it deeper, leading you to ruminate more about it, and opening you up to more suffering and consequences.”
#25 His Girlfriend Is Obviously A Very Stable Genius
Image source: MoniMokshith
#26 Waited 71 Days To Play Petty In Return – Super Bowl 55
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#27 The Punishment For Petty Theft In My Town Is Making Laps Around The Courthouse With A Sandwich Board Sign That States: “I Am A Thief”
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#28 This Is A Majestic Life Tip
Image source: MenudoMenudo
#29 Petty Revenge
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#30 A Man After My Own Heart. Stay Petty Guys
“TO THE PERSON WHO COMPLAINED. I WAS GOING TO BE DONE THIS AFTERNOON BUT PURELY OUT OF SPITE IT WILL NOW BE HERE UNTIL LATE NEXT WEEK. COME & SPEAK TO ME LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING NEXT TIME, OR PICK UP A HOBBY LIKE FISHING OR SPEAKING TO YOUR KIDS.
XOXO”
Image source: azkabaz
#31 “Cuppa” Sounds Bizarre
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#32 When People Mess With Your Privacy Exercise The Crazier Option
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#33 Life With Roommates
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#34 Keep Up The Good Work
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#35 Neighbors Are Slamming Their Cabinets So Hard They Opened Mine. They’re Having A Fight So Now I’m Blasting Shrek As Revenge
Image source: Busy_Apple9797
#36 Wife Sent This In When She Got A Speeding Ticket
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#37 Vigilante Level 1000
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#38 Sometimes Small Acts Of Rebellion Are The Only Way To Reclaim Dignity In Toxic Systems, Peak Energy
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#39 Obviously Hit A Nerve
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#40 Sonic Savagery
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#41 Parking Wars On The Street. The Turquoise Car Parked In His Spot. He Had Loads Of Room Behind But Still Got His Mate To Guide Him Forward
Image source: Sister_Jimjams
#42 The Best Teachers Are The Ones Who Will Still Grade Your Work On Its Own Merit, Even If It Doesn’t Agree With Their Worldview
Image source: gamerladyM
#43 My Buddy’s Bank Wouldn’t Reverse Some Petty Fees So He Showed Up On The Last Day Of The Month And Closed His 150k Account To Cash
Image source: greenicedtea
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