What Do Medieval Nuns and Bo Jackson Have in Common? (Update)

This episode of Freakonomics Radio, originally released in 2013 and updated, explores the concept of spite through the lens of economics and human behavior. The episode begins with the story of Saint Ebba and medieval nuns who mutilated themselves to avoid rape, connecting it to the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face." Economist Steve Levitt and Benedikt Herrmann discuss the definition and implications of spite, contrasting the traditional economic model of "homo economicus" with Herrmann's concept of "homo rivalis," which emphasizes competition. The podcast also examines experiments like the Ultimatum Game to demonstrate how people are willing to sacrifice their own gains to harm others. The episode further explores a real-world example of spite through the story of Bo Jackson, who turned down a lucrative NFL contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals after feeling wronged by the Buccaneers. Finally, the episode delves into whether spite is an innate human trait or a learned behavior, featuring insights from biologist E.O. Wilson, who suggests that true spite, without any personal gain, may not exist in the animal kingdom or even among humans.