Not only does it make you feel bad, it makes you do stupid
things without noticing the risks and it can be self-destructive.
As a result civilized people do their best to suppress,
redirect and mask their anger. Most of us treat our anger as though it’s
unreasonable, unshowable and unmentionable.
But like all emotions anger has its purposes, which can be
used to good effect.
1.
Anger is a motivating force
You sometimes hear people talking about using anger as a
motivating force by ‘turning anger into positive energy’. In fact anger itself
is a kind of positive energy and a powerful motivating force. Research has
shown that anger can make us push on towards our goals in the face of problems
and barriers.
2.
Angry people are more optimistic
It may sound like an odd thing to say, but angry people have
something in common with happy people. That’s because both tend to be more
optimistic.
3.
Anger can benefit relationships
Anger is a natural reaction to being wronged by someone else
and it’s a way of communicating that sense of injustice. But society tells us
anger is dangerous and we should hide it. What does this do to our personal
relationships?
4.
Anger provides self-insight
Anger can also provide insight into ourselves, if we allow
it.
A sample of Americans and Russians were asked about how
recent outbursts of anger had affected them. 55% claimed that getting angry had
let to a positive outcome. One top of this one-third said that anger provided
an insight into their own faults.
5.
Anger reduces violence
Although anger often precedes physical violence, it can also
be a way of reducing violence. That’s because it’s a very strong social signal
that a situation needs to be resolved. When others see the signal they are more
motivated to try and placate the angry party.
6.
Anger as negotiation strategy
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