I can remember back in high school when we were reading The Scarlet Letter. It's a weird book that I personally don't recommend, but there was one character in it that stood out to me the most, and it was Roger Chillingworth.
I'll spare you the details, but the interesting thing about this character is that he has an obsessive hatred for the female protagonist, and for years, that hate warps him physically into something that looks increasingly demon-possessed. It was one of the few parts of the book that actually made logical sense to me, even at my young age. I'd seen how bad attitudes and unjustified prejudices made people look uglier, at least, in the mind's eye.
Come to find out later that the effect isn't just in the imagination. Consistently obsessing over your hatred of a person or people actually does damage to you physically.
First the science, then the example.
According to Houston Methodist, the constant injection of anger and stress chemicals into your body has some adverse effects:
While short bursts of anger can trigger temporary physical changes — like a racing heart or clenched jaw — frequent activation of the body's stress response can have deeper, longer-lasting consequences.
One major mechanism is cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone.
"Cortisol can amplify all of the physical effects we associate with anger," she explains. "When someone lives in a constant state of stress — whether due to a high-pressure job, lack of sleep, poor diet, limited exercise, or an unmanaged chronic condition — they're likely operating with chronically elevated cortisol levels."
That means when anger strikes, the body isn't starting from zero — it's already in overdrive.
"In those cases, even a small trigger can lead to an outsized emotional or physical reaction," says Dr. Chen. "What might look like an unexpected outburst to someone else is the result of a system that's been running hot for far too long.
"This cycle — chronic stress leads to heightened cortisol, which leads to exaggerated anger response — can leave individuals feeling wired, exhausted, and more prone to impulsive or aggressive behavior," adds Chen. "Over time, the toll of these physiological responses can impact cardiovascular health, sleep quality, emotional resilience, and overall well-being."
Hate, the emotion you use to act as motivation for bringing something or someone down, also brings you down.
Now the example.
Remember the girl who flashed Charlie Kirk? She was a young blond leftist, arguing with Kirk, and out of the blue pulled down her top while she was talking to him and exposed her nipple. The internet is still divided on whether or not she meant to do it, but I'm still of the mind she did. She purposefully sought out Kirk to debate him, but became incredibly nervous. Some argue that her nerves caused her to accidentally bring her top down while she was speaking to him just enough and not notice, but I think she knew what she was doing. Posting a nipple to a social media platform could get the account banned, or at the very least, have it suspended for weeks.
In any case, the woman has returned to argue with a pro-life activist on the street, and she's the next Chillingsworth. She's gained weight, her skin is pocked, and her behavior is erratic.
Before I show you the video, I have to warn you that she really amps up the hateful rhetoric, including mocking Charlie's murder and bringing up other things you don't talk about in polite company.
I am not necessarily a believer in demonic possession.
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) June 18, 2026
I tend to think people are either mentally ill or just bad people, not necessarily demon-possessed.
But this could convince me.
Remember that girl who flashed her nipple at Charlie Kirk?
She’s back on camera, and has… pic.twitter.com/HyKvYNQhcA
It's interesting that Viva Frei, the person who posted this video, brings up demonic possession, because her behavior would traditionally lead people to believe there's something far more wrong with her than a bad attitude. The differences between her before and after aren't just striking physically; even her demeanor and tone of speech seem night and day in her older self than in her younger.
And keep in mind that the younger version of herself wasn't that long ago.
But odd behavior aside, it's clear that she's been simmering in her prejudices for some time. She's a hateful creature now, which is tragic, if I'm being honest. Kirk was nice to her directly, and yet she mocks his murder. You can't have that kind of attitude without it affecting you physically. Even without the suspected demonic influence, it's clear her hate has made her ugly.
