Resentment is a passion, implanted by nature for the preservation of the individual. Injury is the object which excites it. Injustice, wrong, injury excites the feeling of resentment, as naturally and necessarily as frost and ice excite the feeling of cold, as fire excites heat, and as both excite pain. A man may have the faculty of concealing his resentment, or suppressing it, but he must and ought to feel it. Nay he ought to indulge it, to cultivate it. It is a duty. -John Adams
John Adams highlights the innate nature of resentment, suggesting that it serves as a protective mechanism for individuals when they experience injury or injustice. Just as natural elements provoke sensations like cold and heat, feelings of resentment are triggered by wrongs done to a person. This implies that resentment is a fundamental human emotion that cannot be suppressed entirely, as it arises instinctively in response to adverse experiences.
Furthermore, Adams argues that not only is feeling resentment unavoidable, but it is also a moral responsibility to acknowledge and nurture this emotion. By cultivating resentment, individuals assert their sense of justice and self-preservation, ensuring that they respond appropriately to wrongdoing. Thus, resentment is portrayed not merely as a negative feeling, but as a necessary and even dutiful response to maintain one's integrity and dignity.
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