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It's easy to dwell on bitterness after someone wrongs you. But we must be careful not to drown in all that negativity. Instead, we should focus on channeling our energy into growth, which is a much healthier and more fulfilling response to adversity.
Dedicating ourselves to the pursuit of our goals during challenging times not only uplifts our spirits but also demonstrates resilience and character. Of course, that's easier said than done. But many still manage to pull through, so let's take a look at their inspiring achievements.
Reddit user Fronzie7 asked everyone on the platform, "Frank Sinatra said, 'The best revenge is massive success.' What's a real-life example of this?" Their post has since gone viral and now has over 2.2K comments. Here are the most memorable ones.
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#1
Brendan Fraser getting the Oscar this year after being black listed from Hollywood for over a decade for speaking out about being sexually assaulted.
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#2
Ron McNair had the police called on him when he was little because he was black and reading in a library. He grew up to be an astronaut and the library he was kicked out of was later named after him.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
So, is he allowed in the library that's named after him?
We managed to get in touch with Fronzie7, and they agreed to have a little chat with us about the thread they started. "I got the inspiration for this post while browsing r/AskReddit," they told Bored Panda.
As the replies poured in, Fronzie7 started recognizing a few recurring themes, but "most of the stories involved romantic relationships."
#3
My mom. She, like the rest of her family, were all dirt poor. For them, it was traditional that they wouldn't go to college and would instead focus on finding a decent at best job as quickly as possible while also getting married and starting families young.
My mom was different. She decided instead to go to college and while she did drink on occasion, she stayed clear of the drugs that had ruined so many of her cousins lives. She told me that her entire family looked down on her and said that she was wasting her time. Well now she is currently the only one who owns a house and has a stable, well paying career. My generation of cousins saw her success and are now following in her footsteps.
Shark Lady 1 year ago
What a great role model, breaking a generation mold is not an easy path. I'm glad that she has inspired the next generation to keep working towards their futures.
#4
Tina Turner. She got away from an abusive husband with virtually no assets and went on to become a solo superstar!
#5
Italian industrialist, builder of tractors, made a mint out of it and rewarded himself with a new Ferrari.
Ferrari broke down. Needed a new clutch. Wealthy industrialist waited patiently for his new clutch to arrive, and after many weeks it finally showed up - same clutch he was putting in his tractors, more than twice the price.
A little bit annoyed at this, he rang Ferrari to complain. They told him "go back to building tractors, leave supercars to us."
And Lamborghini was born...
However, while the need for revenge can be understandable, experts say it doesn't bring us any good.
"It's not healthy, but like many other human needs, it's also normal," said Harold Takooshian, professor of psychology at Fordham University in New York.
"Like hate, revenge is something that takes a toll on the person who feels wronged, as well as the [person's] enemy. It is inherently unhealthy because it takes a psychological and physical toll on the person. Venting those feelings of anger and hostility does not decrease those feelings," he explained.
"It may give you a cathartic feeling, but it doesn't last."
#6
When Lady GaGa was in college, some of her classmates had a Facebook group called "Stefani Germanotta, you'll never be famous".
Pretty sure she proved them wrong.
#7
Michael J.Fox has a great story about when he started out. Some big wheel at the network didn't like him for the role of Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties. He was too short, not cute, not heart throb enough, you're never going to see his face on a lunch box. But the producer cast him anyway and the show shot to number one and stayed there.
Fox sent him a Family Ties lunch box with his face on it and then Back to the Future 1,2,3 lunch boxes.
#8
My teachers, I had several that said I would never do anything, that my learning disability was to massive of a hindrance.
Im graduating from grad school.in August. With a specialty in helping special Ed kids
For the most part, Fronzie7 agrees with this. "I think that revenge isn't always the best motivation," the Redditor said.
"In my opinion, it's better to simply focus on yourself, and it'll eventually still prove others wrong."
#9
John Gurdon was sent home from school with a report card , and on that report card was a note to his parents from the headmaster pleading with them to not let him go into the science field to waste anyone's time. “Several times he has been in trouble, because he will not listen, but will insist on doing his work in his own way. I believe he has ideas about becoming a Scientist; on his present showing this is quite ridiculous. It would be a sheer waste of time, both on his part and of those who have to teach him.” is what the report card said. Today, That report card is the only thing he has framed in his office, which is in a building that is now been named after him, after the many contributions to nuclear transplantation and cloning. He also has a nobel prize. Also he has been knighted. He has received many honors and awards in addition....... And the only thing he has framed is that report card telling him not to waste anyone's time by trying science.
Sue Wade-Walters 1 year ago
"...doing his own work in his own way..." Key traits for the inquisitive mind of a scientist.
#10
A very personal one. My ex was very abusive. He tried to get me to think I "am not mentally capable" of living without him (I'm disabled, but I always tested at a genius level and did decently well at work and school). So now he's gone, and I'm furthering my career and absolutely thriving.
#11
The guy who invented Ring cameras went on Shark Tank and was rejected by everyone. They all thought it would fail….we’ll you know the rest
So how does someone cope with a burning desire for revenge? The first, and arguably most important, step is taking responsibility for your emotions.
By entertaining the need to hurt somebody, you're actually hurting yourself. You're allowing yourself to be hurt twice, physically and emotionally.
So it's probably best to try and let go of those feelings and seek other ways to deal with your emotions.
#12
George Lucas got the ownership of the toy rights to star wars because they don’t think it would be successful. He made an absolute killing on those.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
My friend's brother had tons of the original toys, boxed and in mint condition. In '95, he sold them, because it had been nearly 20 years, and Star Wars wasn't coming back. The next year, Lucas re-released A New Hope. Mitch is still kicking himself over that.
#13
Sylvester Stallone as well. Casting agents told him he was too stupid looking and he'd only get small roles as the thug who got beaten up. He said he literally went to every casting agent in NYC and got rejected by all of them.
Even after he wrote Rocky and found producers, they didn't want him to star in it.
#14
I worked as CFO for a private company, and after 5 years of poor ownership and family-meddling I was let go with no notice or severance, while they owed me tens of thousands of dollars in back-pay, expenses, revenue share etc. I was on the verge of bankruptcy. I won my lawsuit and have a judgement against him and his company which I know I will never collect on.
7 years later I started my own company in the same competitive space. Following his most recent divorce he's about 2.7 million in debt. My company was just valued at 100 million as we move into our 4th year.
#15
Jennifer Hudson lost American Idol and became more successful than the winner.
#16
Julie Andrews was very popular as Eliza Doolittle in the stage version of *My Fair Lady*. However, when the film version was being developed, the head of Warner Bros. Studios, Jack Warner, decided that she wasn't well-known enough. They wanted a big-name star in the role, so Audrey Hepburn was cast instead, despite needing her singing to be dubbed over.
With the role no longer available, Andrews was instead took on the role of the titular character in *Mary Poppins*. The film was a **huge** critical and commercial success, and earned Andrews both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance as the magical nanny.
In her Golden Globe acceptance speech, Andrews referenced her snub for *My Fair Lady*, saying: "My thanks to a man who made a wonderful movie and who made all this possible in the first place, Mr. Jack Warner.”
#17
Harlan Ellison sent every writing award he received to one of his old professors that said he'd never be successful.
#18
Using my throwaway for this.
Been with my partner for 10 years. 10 years of gaslighting, being told that I am forgetful, pathetic and not going to ever be successful. My kids (not his) are now grown up, and at 50 I was diagnosed with ADHD and now being assessed for autism. That same year I achieved my Masters degree, and got myself medicated, and worked hard with my kids to help them onto their life paths as they became adults. This was over the last couple of years.
Little does my partner know, that I am about to kick his gaslighting, narcissistic self out and while I am now verging on poverty, having been manipulated to give up my career to support him and my kids (as he, apparently, couldn't take on any of the emotional or practical roles to assist) I can assure you, dear strangers of reddit, that in a years time I will be successful and happier than I've ever been.
Proving Sinatra right.
#19
"Groups of guitars are on the way out,” a recording executive at Decca told the Beatles in 1962. “We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.”
#20
Erin French, chef-owner of restaurant *The Lost Kitchen* in rural Maine.
Co-owned a restaurant in the town of Belfast with her husband; a very tumultuous relationship ended with him changing the locks on the building with all of her equipment inside.
She licked her wounds, leased space in an old mill building in her tiny hometown of Freedom, and built from the ground one of the best restaurants in the country, with a coveted reservation that is fabled for its difficulty to get a table. Has her own multi-season documentary on TV and is absolutely killing it in the culinary world now.
I'm a Jimmy 1 year ago
Redemption story, to be sure. But during her marriage/first restaurant, she worked constantly and became addicted to alcohol and pain killers. It isn’t surprising the marriage fell apart. People often achieve success through obsession, and it can be difficult for those around them, and for their own health.
#21
I was told my place as a woman was to marry a rich man and have kids. I’m now the first person in my family to have a degree and they sing a different tune.
#22
Blockbuster laughed baby Netflix out of the room with their idea. Then later, grown-up Netflix killed blockbuster.
Juan Something(downvotevictim) 1 year ago
Netflix tried to sell to blockbuster in 2000 but blockbuster declined. They also offered to run blockbuster's online ventures, but were once again rejected.
#23
My ex was going to divorce me after I retired to try and get a percentage of my retirement pay. Evidently this had been a plan for a while. Her best friend sent me screenshots of her plan and I used it for my divorce. She got nothing, I'm happily married to my best friend, financially stable, with all the free time I could want.
#24
My wife has one, she started an embroidery business and started to have success, her sister decided to buy a machine and steal all of her designs to make a quick buck. Obviously pissed my wife off.
Well less than a year later her sisters shop gets 1 order a month and is basically dead. My wife’s shop gets 150 orders a day, has two employees and makes 100k/month.
#25
Well, Michelangelo's rival was the one that recommended him to paint the Sistine Chapel, because Michelangelo was a sculptor, not a painter, and he thought that our boy would fail hard at painting the ceiling.... and uh. Well. *laughs a*s off.*
Juan Something(downvotevictim) 1 year ago
Didn't even say anything about being a founding ninja turtle, his nunchuk skills, or his affinity for pizza.
#26
When I was 13 my uncle called me an ungrateful little Bi*** and said I will amount to nothing, be a little sl*t and proceeded to push me against a door that had a nail sticking out which stuck into my back. Many years later, I completed college, worked my way to a government career, bought a home, didn’t fall into the trap of having several kids and being on welfare like most of my family. He literally pushed me into success.
#27
The band Lynard Skynard named themselves after a teacher named Leonard Skinner who told them they wouldn't amount to anything.
My “in my head” Voice 1 year ago
Their fame with his name is the best F*** you I can possibly think of!
Momten Jillian 1 year ago
the creep also jinxed them. God keep and protect them that they may sing with the angels
Kim Steffen 1 year ago
Mr Skinner was a gym teacher who gave one of VanZandt brothers a haircut because long hair did not follow the school's dress code.
Lipstick Hippie 1 year ago
You don't know that. They could have died doing something else.
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#28
When I was at university I had a friend who had a spare car parking space under his apartments, and as parking was difficult to find in the area I asked if I could park there and he said yes, so I did, for about a month until he told me to move it on Tuesday (tomorrow) as he was going to rent it out to someone. I told him I wasn't around until Wednesday morning, we had some sort of text argument but I literally said thank you, i'll be happy to pay how much you want for the day but I'm not physically back within 24 hours.
Anyway, I get back Wednesday morning, and i've got a flat tyre. I was young, I thought it was just an abnormal thing, so I pump it up and drive off, and while travelling at 60mph lose the steering and nearly crash. Tyres flat again, it's got a puncture wound. He's clearly put a screwdriver through my tyre, so an AA callout and £150 later the tyres changed and i'm fuming.
Cut to 6 months later, I didn't say anything to him (whats to say?), and there's a party at his one bedroom flat and i've been invited, weird but okay. We turn up, i'm enthusiastic to see him, neither of us bring up the car, I feel like he thinks he got away with it, that I don't know it was him. (I was told by a friend after the incident that he did do it).
As the party is in full swing, I stole his microwave glass tray, his oven metal grill from inside the oven, I stole at least 4 left shoes, I took the power cable to his wifi router, and I took the plastic stop c**k from inside his toilets cistern just before we left. It was a massively successful revenge. Apparently he was complaining to mutual friends for months, I never told anyone about it, I just nodded my head and said "oh thats a shame".
#29
One of my best friends in college was unpopular. The guys on my floor thought he was a dork and dismissed him. Five years after graduating he joined a dot-com as employee number 3. As the company grew he hired his friends, me included. Ten years after graduation he retired on his dot-com wealth. I love reconnecting with people from college and letting them know that RB retired at 35. The subtext is that if they’d been nicer to him they could have made millions.
#30
Guy in my class in middle school was always sleeping from staying up late playing Halo 2. He was really good, like travel to tournaments and win them on weekends good. The teacher said “enjoy your video games now because you’ll be flipping burgers for life”.
He bought himself and his parents houses at 19 from youtube/streaming money.
Michael Largey 1 year ago
I have flipped burgers all my life, too. I don't work in a restaurant. I just like to make myself hamburgers.
#31
Lucille Ball auditioned for the part of Scarlet O'Hara in "Gone With The Wind." After getting rejected by the studio producer, she met Desi Arnaz and became one of the most influential stars in the world.
THE REVENGE: She founded her company Desilu and set up shop in the same office the producer rejected her in.
#32
In the 1960s, Ford wanted to buy Ferrari. Just before they closed the deal, Ferrari slammed the door on them and let themselves be bought by Fiat. Ford, then, designed an entirely new supercar, beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of LeMans from 1966-1969, and Ferrari hasn't won that race since against any other car manufacturer.
And for the icing on the cake, 50 years later, Ford entered again after not competing since the 70s, and won again.
#33
I used to be a forensic scientist until I had to leave because of an abusive boss. I changed careers and now I make more money than he does and I am valued by my new boss and team.
#34
Moved out of my abusive mother's and stepdad house at 18. Had my own apartment at 18, bought my own house at 21. They kept telling everyone I was a drug addict 😂😂😂
Katie Lutesinger 1 year ago
"They can't possibly be a happy successful person after the horrible upbringing we gave them! Better slander them for good measure."
#35
Carol Burnett , her star placement on the walk of fame or the TV executive that tried to keep her from hosting her show because Variety Shows is a “ mans job “ .
The Original Bruno 1 year ago
I love the story about how finished 3rd place in a Carol Burnett look-a-like contest, so she hired the winner, Vicky Lawrence.
#36
My story: I dated a girl in college who seemed perfect. Gorgeous, sweet, smart, really really rich, and killer in bed.
After two years together and me basically becoming part of her family she abruptly broke up with me and told me flat out that she couldn’t see us together long term because she had a family and social network that would never accept her marrying someone outside of their social class and, I suspect, racial group (I’m hispanic and she was white).
I never got that impression from anyone in her family or our friends group so it was a complete shock which I did not take well at the time, but as I was firmly in the group I kept in contact with most of her family and our by then joint social group.
Very shortly after we broke up she was dating a lacrosse player from our school who was the prototypical J Crew model; tall, blonde handsome af and of course, very well off. Our friends knew it was a bad breakup on my end and would always tell me how big of an idiot she was but whatever, it just sucked a*s for a while.
Long story short I struggled, but eventually moved on, graduated and began my career which started slow but ramped up after 5-7 years to the point where I was rubbing elbows with her dad and his social buddies on a frequent basis, and they were always totally cool with me.
By then she wanted me back, but by that time I was engaged to my now wife and it was a complete non starter.
All in all, that was 18 years ago, I am now quite successful both in career and finances, married with two great kids, and she’s a two time divorcee who desperately wants kids but can’t have them (abortion complications from said J Crew relationship) and struggles financially while living at home.
When she came crawling back it certainly felt like revenge to turn her down, but at this point it’s more me feeling bad that she never found happiness or at least not yet (we’re in our early 40s now).
#37
Working on the Shrek movie was a massiv punishment as executives didnt believe in it and would shrek underperforming Animators.
#38
Sony and Nintendo were working on a console together before the N64 came out, intending to utilize Nintendo's gaming hardware combined with Sony's sound tech to create games with more immersive sound capabilities than have been seen before. Partway through development and immediately following Sony's announcement of their partnership, Nintendo backed out of the deal, which if you're not aware of Japanese business etiquette, is kind of a d**k move. Nintendo backed out to work with Philips to put Nintendo games on the CDi, which resulted in the worst-received Nintendo games of all time. Sony, out of spite, went on to make the PlayStation, one of the best-selling consoles in gaming history, and cement themselves as a massive player in the console wars to this day.
#39
There was a multi-millionaire, like $100s of millions-aire, from where I am from that applied for membership at a country club was turned away because of some random rich country club rule. Anyway a few years later the country club was wanting to expand its golf course and was going to buy up the neighboring properties. This guy decided to go ahead and outbid the country club and buy up the properties himself. He turned into your generic McMansion suburbia, but still. That's the sort of passive-aggressive f**k you money I one day hope to have.
#40
My wife is always talking s**t about how good she is at candy land. When our daughter was old enough to play we bought the game and I won 4 games in a row. I’ve never done m**h but I imagine that is what that rush feels like.
What do you think ?
Almarako94 1 year ago
Morals of all that Storys: never ever listen to people who don't believe in you, or take it as a challange. Also break up contact to those people as soon as you can to not let them continue to push you down.
Donkeywheel 1 year ago
Massive success is not revenge. Anyone thinking that is seriously broken.
Rohan Naik 1 year ago
Some of these are just hindsight bias. Honestly it seemed like company, person made decision to not go with the person, merger, product based on the information they had at the time. Thing, person, product, company went big, therefore the person, company who rejected them was dumb they should have just seen the future used their time machine and gone to the future and seen that their decision was stupid. Honestly, my take away is that people judge other people decisions on how it turned out not on the quality of their analysis based on the information they had at the time they made that decision.
Robin Roper 1 year ago
I'm loving the memes featuring that the folding chair was invented and patented in 1855 by a black man, Nathaniel Alexander. A folding chair was used in the recent Montgomery, AL melee when a black person used a folding chair to beat the a$$ of a white redneck who had first attacked a black worker to telling them to move their pontoon boat. If you're not in the US, look up Montgomery melee and you'll find videos. Bad behavior on both "sides" but the white redneck "pontoon people" were at fault and should go to jail. The memes are very funny.
Margaret Angela Thomas 1 year ago
Chattanooga, TN: young golf pro was turned down flat when he applies to play in a country club's fish belly white Pro-Am while he was in town. Tiger Woods. Valley Rook Country Club, Cheat A New Girl, TN.
Ralph Watkins 1 year ago
We had a local surgeon who was in a car accident. Sued the couple in the other car for millions. Said he could no longer do surgeries due to dizzy spells & unsteadiness. A few years later he got sued for botching a surgery. That family learned of the first lawsuit & easily won their malpractice suit. They then contacted the couple who lost the law suit against the doctor. They counter-sued the surgeon & now not only did he have to pay millions to the malpractice suit, he now owed millions back to the couple he sued.
Gavin Johnson 1 year ago
Ain’t it weird that folk mention how rich they are as the revenge? And now I’m successful because $$$$$….. how’s about, now I’m settled, happy, calm, I’ve contributed to my community, I’ve got a healthy relationship, I’m proud of who I am, I’ve got tons of love in my life, I have friends I can count on, I’m respected for who I am, I love my life?
Almarako94 1 year ago
Morals of all that Storys: never ever listen to people who don't believe in you, or take it as a challange. Also break up contact to those people as soon as you can to not let them continue to push you down.
Donkeywheel 1 year ago
Massive success is not revenge. Anyone thinking that is seriously broken.
Rohan Naik 1 year ago
Some of these are just hindsight bias. Honestly it seemed like company, person made decision to not go with the person, merger, product based on the information they had at the time. Thing, person, product, company went big, therefore the person, company who rejected them was dumb they should have just seen the future used their time machine and gone to the future and seen that their decision was stupid. Honestly, my take away is that people judge other people decisions on how it turned out not on the quality of their analysis based on the information they had at the time they made that decision.
Robin Roper 1 year ago
I'm loving the memes featuring that the folding chair was invented and patented in 1855 by a black man, Nathaniel Alexander. A folding chair was used in the recent Montgomery, AL melee when a black person used a folding chair to beat the a$$ of a white redneck who had first attacked a black worker to telling them to move their pontoon boat. If you're not in the US, look up Montgomery melee and you'll find videos. Bad behavior on both "sides" but the white redneck "pontoon people" were at fault and should go to jail. The memes are very funny.
Margaret Angela Thomas 1 year ago
Chattanooga, TN: young golf pro was turned down flat when he applies to play in a country club's fish belly white Pro-Am while he was in town. Tiger Woods. Valley Rook Country Club, Cheat A New Girl, TN.
Ralph Watkins 1 year ago
We had a local surgeon who was in a car accident. Sued the couple in the other car for millions. Said he could no longer do surgeries due to dizzy spells & unsteadiness. A few years later he got sued for botching a surgery. That family learned of the first lawsuit & easily won their malpractice suit. They then contacted the couple who lost the law suit against the doctor. They counter-sued the surgeon & now not only did he have to pay millions to the malpractice suit, he now owed millions back to the couple he sued.
Gavin Johnson 1 year ago
Ain’t it weird that folk mention how rich they are as the revenge? And now I’m successful because $$$$$….. how’s about, now I’m settled, happy, calm, I’ve contributed to my community, I’ve got a healthy relationship, I’m proud of who I am, I’ve got tons of love in my life, I have friends I can count on, I’m respected for who I am, I love my life?
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