Grudges, Part III: The research

In the previous post I reviewed the five instances or stories in which the Bible writers highlight the negative outcomes of grudge-holding. In this post I'd like to look at current research.

Psychology has recently turned its attention to some of the "softer inquiries" that researchers used to scorn: happiness, forgiveness, even spirituality (gasp!). Grudges fit right in with those newer areas of intellectual curiosity. Considering the damage done by grudge-holding, it's no surprise that there's a specific line of inquiry into the effects of hanging on to a grudge. It's related to the Forgiveness research, but I think it carves out its own little niche.

Researchers in Singapore conducted a fascinating study in which they asked people to recall a situation for which they still held a grudge against their offender. Then they were asked to estimate the angle of slopes depicted in various photographs. (The idea was to bring to mind the task of climbing a steep hill.) The people who had not let go of grudges estimated the slopes to be steeper than those who had let go of grudges. Researchers described it as similar to wearing "emotional backpacks," like real backpacks that make an upward trail seem steeper in real life. And the researchers went further in their exploration: despite controlling for other factors such as fitness, they found that people who thought about their grudges could not jump as high as those who had forgiven their offenders. The Singapore researchers concluded that holding a grudge is actually physically taxing to a person, limiting their abilities.

Medical researchers have also found indications of the chemical effects of grudge-holding. Recent findings are well represented in a 2012 study by McCulloch and Tabak which indicates that holding a grudge increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol, and inhibits the production of oxytocin, the "love hormone." Well, of course. But those hormones also affect our health. Too much cortisol has a negative effect on a person's weight, causes inflammation, depresses the immune function and raises the risk of chronic disease. Additionally, grudge-holding has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, pain disorders and stomach ulcers.

Somewhere in the past year I spotted a study reported somewhere, saying that people who held grudges were more likely to experience dementia in old age, but I can't find that study now. Nevertheless, that concept intrigues me greatly. Could choosing to forgive and let go improve your chances for preserving mental functions? Well, let's follow the logic. If holding grudges raises cortisol, and and higher cortisol levels are related to weight problems and cardiovascular disease, and those are both correlated with an increased risk of dementia, it seems to all connect. But short of finding a direct link in the research, I can't reference a study in which a connection between grudge-holding and dementia has been indicated...yet.

The point is, holding a grudge is not only destructive in human relationships. Holding a grudge is not only seen by Bible writers as a dynamic that leads to no good whatsoever. It's also clearly indicated in scientific research as having a significant negative effect on both your physical and mental health.

(to be continued)