Neal Grace Author Website

Anger

Illuminating Insights

There are many reasons people get angry, much of them stem from unresolved childhood hurts and pain. But even as adults we get angry for a vast slew of reasons. We become disappointed, rejected, abused, and frustrated in a variety of situations. Anger is a fundamental part of our emotional makeup. We get mad at leaders, our bosses, our friends, our lovers, our pets, ourselves. Most people justify their anger in a logical way, saying they were provoked or forced to react in anger. Anger does happen to all of us. And sometimes we feel we had no choice but to react in anger at the violations heaped upon us.

For the sake of brevity, I will only focus upon one facet of this complex and universal subject. How we react is an inside job that has little to do with the eternal circumstances. The only thing we can control in a potentially heated moment is how we respond to threats and disturbances. This is a critical part of the anger equation. If you can stop for a second, breathe and try to mitigate your own inner rage, you will be able to diffuse a hostile moment so that it doesn't erupt into an extreme and dangerous situation. Remember to try your best to calm the reptilian part of your brain that wants to leap into the fire. Calm yourself so you can become a force of healing in the midst of an inflammatory moment that could end up burning you badly! The wisest response is to diffuse a hostile moment. Then everyone wins!