Anger is Good for you

How often do you see a person being angry these days? Sure, there are politicians and news reporters yelling at each other for no reason, but other than that when do we see two people yelling at each other. I know I hardly see it. Well, It could be because I spend most of my time at work, where anger, you know, is not the most obvious emotion. But, let me make the case that anger is good for you, which is probably the reason you are reading this story, right?

So, one interesting thing that I’ve noticed among people who are angry is that they are fearful at the same time. Anger, at its root, is just fear. Fear of failure, fear of confrontation, fear of this or fear of that just mirages itself with anger. If we just start looking at anger from this perspective we start noticing the insecurities within us. This has been especially true with me. Recently, I’ve been quite angry with the economy. With rising interest rates and layoffs coming about, anger as been my only way of coping with these unprecedented changes. But, when I step back and think where that anger stems from, it seems quite clear to me. I am afraid that I’ll have to give up some things that are very dear to me if the US economy collapses. Unlike most people today, I love my job. I have the best colleagues to work with and inspiring leaders to guide me. I’m just afraid that I would have to give all that up if I get laid off.

Anger is basically my inner self’s way of channeling this fear. Although anger has always been portrayed as this negative emotion, I see it as a positive one. It basically tells you where your blind spots are — where things are going well for you and where they are not. Using this newfound knowledge, you can learn to face your fears. You have to know what your fears are before confronting them, right? And anger helps you do just that. In my case, identifying my fear of the economy has helped me acknowledge and accept it. I’ve realized that there are some things that one can control and there are some things that are beyond one’s control. If I feel overwhelmed at any point in time, I convince my heart that “This too shall pass,” which has been the most comfort to me thus far in my tumultuous life.

So, the next time you are angry at someone or something: start questioning where that anger is originating from, and you’ll learn something interesting about yourself.

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