Expressing anger effectively and learning healthy coping mechanisms can diffuse the negative effects of uncontrolled anger, leading to better health, relationships, and personal fulfillment
By Dr. Mukund Acharya
Emotions and Evolution
Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust, love, joy, and shame – some of our common emotions – transcend language, ethnicity, geography, and age. Facial expressions and reactions associated with basic human emotions, like smiles or tears, are universally understood. Our emotions are also very powerful. They can “change how we see the world and how we interpret the actions of others,” says Dr. Paul Ekman, an influential psychologist and internationally recognized expert on expressions.
Why do we have emotions? Evolutionary biologists and sociologists inform us that emotions were crucial for survival, social functioning, and well-being during human evolution. More than just feelings, emotions are evolved mechanisms that helped our ancestors adapt to and survive changing environments, helping them look for food, find mates, and avoid danger.
Some, known as basic emotions, are biologically determined and innate from very early in our lives. Charles Darwin was among the first to recognize this. He wrote extensively in 1872 about emotional expressions in men and animals. Long before they learned to speak, humans were able to relate and connect through body language and expressions.
Anger
Like other emotions, anger evolved in our ancestors from the need to survive and adapt. It serves as a mechanism to address perceived injustices, enforce social norms, and bargain for better treatment. It motivates us to defend our property and members of our family, helping us overcome another primal emotion – fear – to face challenges and overcome obstacles.
Anger can send a signal to others that they have crossed a boundary or violated a norm. It is often a useful tool to discourage future transgressions. Neuroscientists suggest that anger is a neurocognitive programming of the brain. It is triggered when an experience does not meet the outcome we expected. A cascade of activity occurs in our brains. The amygdala which processes emotions triggers the release of stress hormones and the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision making and reasoning, prepares our bodies for action.
We all get angry
Everyone gets angry now and then; I certainly do. In most cases, our brain enables us to contextualize and regulate our anger. We exert control, and our actions, words, and responses are measured. We can leverage our anger to negotiate and influence others’ behavior, causing them to re-evaluate the situation.
Our anger motivates us to defend our resources, territory, and loved ones, just as our ancestors did. Sometimes anger enables us to overcome our fears and stress, helping us face challenges and overcome obstacles. Anger can be valuable and effective if it is balanced. It can be a positive force for change. With mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion, we can use anger constructively.
Uncontrolled anger
When it’s uncontrolled, however, anger can be destructive, leading to outbursts and attacks of rage. It can get intense enough that the individual loses control, sometimes leading to verbal or physical aggression, with resultant harm to others. In today’s society, we hear all too often about rage that triggers a disproportionate response, leading to violence at home, in the workplace, and in public spaces.
Uncontrolled anger can have negative consequences on relationships, as well as the mental and physical health of both the angry person and those against whom the anger is directed. Several potential causes for such uncontrolled anger have been identified, including stress, past trauma, exposure to violence during formative years, and other environmental factors, as well as some medical conditions.
Harnessing your anger
Uncontrolled anger and serious anger management issues can lead to behavioral and mental health problems. In such cases, professional help – often covered by health insurance in the US – is highly recommended. Even in the absence of such issues, understanding the need to harness anger, and learning to use proven strategies for managing anger can help our body and brain respond to stress in healthy ways, with a positive impact on our own wellbeing and that of others around us.
In a book written around 350 BCE on how best to live, the Greek philosopher Aristotle is quoted as saying, “anybody can become angry; that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.”
How do we manage anger and bring it within our power? That’s is a learned skill. Even those of us who do it well have room to improve. We should be practiced in the many tools of anger management, and understand the social and cultural issues that impact the expression and interpretation of anger. Harnessing our anger involves learning how to recognize, cope with, and express our anger in healthy and productive ways. We must clearly understand the purpose and meaning behind its use.
Here are some practical steps to take. Recognize and acknowledge your anger; don’t try to suppress or deny it. Understand what situations or events tend to make you angry – identify the triggers and watch for them. When you feel anger rising, take a moment to pause, reflect, and calm down before reacting. Use healthy outlets to diffuse anger when it builds. Engaging in some physical activity or a form of creative expression works for many, as does talking about your anger with someone you trust. Develop a problem-solving mindset and approach to your anger; instead of dwelling on it, channel your thoughts into finding solutions. As with other skills, continuous practice is necessary to become good at it.
Skilled proficiency in harnessing and using anger when necessary, in both personal and professional interactions, has clear advantages – it helps us achieve what is important to us and meet our needs and goals.
Aristotle takes this much further, arguing that mastering anger and other emotions – achieving emotional balance – is crucial for a virtuous life. It catalyzes a profound awakening, opening the door to emotional liberation, relationship enhancement, and personal fulfillment.
Master your anger and become a force for good. Isn’t it worth trying to reach for this high bar?
Read – Psychology: The Green-Eyed Monster
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Courtesy: India Currents
