Escape the Ancient Algorithm of Revenge

In 1995, as Chris Williams surveyed the wreckage that had moments before been his family car, he made a decision that defied human nature. His pregnant wife and two children lay dead, killed instantly by a drunk teenage driver. Most would have collapsed into the gravity well of rage, but Chris did something revolutionary. He forgave. "In that moment, I realized the burden of hatred would become a second tragedy—one entirely self-inflicted," he later explained. What made this ordinary man capable of such extraordinary mercy? And what might the rest of us be missing about the true mechanics of healing?

Hunters once used a simple but deadly trap for bears. They'd suspend a heavy log above sweet honey. The bear, seeing the treat, would shove the obstacle aside to reach the reward. The log would swing back, striking the animal. Increasingly agitated, the bear would push harder each time, causing the log to hit with greater force until the repeated blows proved fatal.