Anger, whether is ourselves or expressed by others, is a sign of weakness, demonstrating a lack of emotional self control.
Emotional anger when out of control can do harm to ourselves and motivate us to harm or hurt other people or even material things.
Pent up frustration and stress could be readily excused as we try to cope with life and react to our difficulties and problems. However, we all have to find a way to channel this energy in an appropriate and constructive manner – until we find a positive way to act in life. Then, increasingly, as we find the strength to focus constructively, our reactions are less of a problem.
Most angry people are reacting, often without conscious thought. The cause is more often than not from emotional rather than rational issues. Someone who is mentally well does not habitually display anger. As we do we like to feel repressed anger in our own personality, we do not appreciate it in the mood of any companion.
Anger is a recognized symptom of mental illness when it is firmly established as a habit Anger is a condition when emotional energy can well up from the subconscious and is capable of erupting like a volcano with equal potential to harm or hurt.
That hurt begins with the physical and psychic hurt to the one who is feeling anger. It starts with their increased blood pressure, nervous and muscular tension, interference with normal physiological function and by contributing to their totally negative self image. No one reflects with joy upon their past displays of anger or is proud of their demonstrated loss of self control.
So many people who have, in anger, just inflicted pain upon another will say “I didn’t mean to do it!” But this is not good enough. The act was committed by them, no one else, and it is they who are responsible whether it is a physical action or related to subtler behaviour.
All anger, whether held inside us or expressed towards others is harmful. Anger can lead to broken relationships, poor health, violent behaviour and ‘crimes of passion’ including road rage or murder. And those whose anger has been allowed to grow unchecked are often inclined to suicide.
Unfortunately anger is infectious. When someone displays anger towards us, it is easy to react in defence and respond angrily, even though we were relaxed to begin with. We have to practise resisting such reaction.
