Spite

But I say to  you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use  you and persecute you.  --Matthew 5:44

I like a radio program on NPR called "Freakonomics Radio."  They put human behavior into purely economic terms, and listening to it helps me to better understand human behavior (and sometimes helps me to understand economics better.)

This weekend the show's topic was Spite.  I was intrigued.  The example they gave from an economic perspective was a game show in which one person was given a sum of money, say $100.  He was told that he could keep it all, or share it with the other contestant.  The other contestant was given the choice to agree with the split, or he could veto the whole thing, in which case both contestants would get nothing.  For example, if the first guy decided to evenly split the $100 pot, so that the contestants each received $50, then it would be in the second person's interest to agree.  But if the first one decides he wanted, say, $70 or $80, then the second person might get angry and spiteful, and decide that it would be better to receive nothing than to have such an unbalanced and unfair division of the pot.

There are two ideas at play here. First, most of the time economists assume that all people will try to make the best economic decision for them.  People generally try to maximize their wealth by making the best decisions about their money.  There are exceptions, of course.  Some people may choose to buy the more expensive brand of peanut butter because of advertising or personal taste. The store brand of peanut butter may be just as good, but the consumer is convinced that it is worth it to him to pay the extra money for the advertised brand, thus leaving less money for investment or other purchases.  That's human nature at work in economics.  So the ideal person, homo economicus, does not actually exist.

This leads us to the second idea:  Instead of homo economicus, describing people as always making the best decision for themselves, we have a rival attitude of homo animus, in which people compare themselves to other people.  "Getting ahead" does not mean making the best overall decision, as long as you are doing better than your rival.  It's all about the win.  That explains why the game show contestant cited above might give up $20 or $30 in free money just to ensure that his rival does not receive his $70 or $80.

It is important here to differentiate between the idea of Spite and that of Revenge, because people often confuse the two.  If you thought that your rival was getting too successful, you may manipulate events so that your rival suffers a loss, but your circumstances are unchanged or even improved just a bit, that is Revenge.  The benefit you derive from it may merely be the satisfaction that your rival has failed, but that is in itself a benefit.  Spite, on the other hand, is manipulating events so that both you and your rival suffer loss.  In this case, you don't care that you have suffered a loss, as long as your rival suffers as much or more.  Revenge is part of our sinful human nature, like feeling a sense of satisfaction when your ex breaks up with the person they left you for.  Spite borders more on the sociopathic or psychopathic, as in a suicide bomber.

Some psychologist and behaviorists think that Spite in its purest form does not exist.  If Spite is sacrificing your own well-being to see a rival fail, then the thinking is that the spiteful person would derive some benefit from knowing that his rival has failed.  It is very much like the virtue of Altruism, which is the flip side of Spite.  If Spite is doing evil without regard to your own consequences, then Altruism is doing good without seeking a reward.  The idea is that there is no truly altruistic person, because giving gives them publicity (e.g. naming the building after you) or the good will of the recipient (heart-felt thanks) or just the self satisfaction of having given.  On a human level, there is no such thing as being truly altruistic, or truly spiteful.

On a spiritual level, however, it is a different story.  Jesus did not derive any personal benefit from leaving Heaven, taking on the form of a man, being despised and rejected, and dying on the cross.  Yet He did it anyway, for our benefit.  In the same way, Satan does not get any personal gain from tormenting us, seducing us to sin, or in keeping us from being Christ-like.  In the end, Jesus is the resurrected Savior who will return to Earth and gather His Church to Himself in Heaven.  Satan, on the other hand, is the angel of light cast out of Heaven and whose ultimate punishment will be torment in a lake of fire.  A similar fate faces all those who reject Jesus as the Messiah, sent from God to save us from our sins.  What more altruistic act than what Jesus did?  None exists more spiteful than Satan.

Jesus told a parable when He was here on Earth that illustrates the two extremes.

The kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, 'See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.' "  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized the servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderer, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you  find, invite to the wedding."  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests.  --Matthew 22:2-10

 Here is our mission: we are to be like Jesus.  The apostle Paul encourages us by his own example:

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain.  But even after we had suffered and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.  For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.  But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.  For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness--God is our witness.  Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.  But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.  So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. --1 Thessalonians 2: 1-8

Did you notice Paul's dedication to his message of the gospel?  He was willing to put his own life on the line, even when spitefully treated, for no earthly benefit.  And even if we receive rewards in Heaven for our good works for the gospel, we will lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus (Revelation 4:10).

Ultimately, our altruism is for His glory.  Spitefulness is of the devil.