Introduction

Abstract

Everybody knows what is meant by the term "embitterment". Many persons have already experienced this state of mind. It is a complex emotion, typically comprising a sense of having been let down or been insulted and a feeling of being a loser, combined with a desire to fight back and, at the same time, a feeling of being cornered and helpless, which subsequently causes an individual to have fantasies of revenge and aggression towards him or herself and the environment. Tis is an emotion which has always been familiar to mankind and which the ancient Greeks described: © 2011 Springer-Verlag Vienna.