Anger Management, Anybody?

Story, Place, & Kairos

Reflections from Raymond Vince

Raymond Vince

Location: Tampa, Florida, USA
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FEBRUARY 13, 2012 2:05PM

Rate: 1 Flag

Anger

America is angry. America is very angry. There is useful article on NPR today in this topic, which can be read here. Have a look.

Among other things, we read this,

"The emotion of anger," explains Rich Pfeiffer, president of the National Anger Management Association, "activates the 'primitive' human brain — sometimes called the limbic system — which is automatic and impulsive, and if you are functioning out of the primitive part of your brain, you tend to want to punish, hurt, get back at, teach a lesson, or do something destructive to the person triggering your anger."

So, how do we deal with our anger - our personal anger and our national anger? Is there, maybe, a kind of National Anger Management Course that we should all sign up for? Should there be?

Or should we let the anger "work itself out"? What would that "working out" look like in practice? Is this issue funny, or tragic, or dangerous, or constructive? Questions worth asking, maybe.

Author tags:

anger management, anger, politics

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Comments

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I wear all my emotions right up for the world to see. But anger is the only one I dislike. Even sad, has a familiar, comforting feeling. But anger feels out of control, and out of character. I really, really don't like it- it feels terrible.

Tiffany Brubeck

February 14, 2012 01:16 AM

By the way- I like your post. I read the NPR article too- good link.

Tiffany Brubeck

February 14, 2012 01:17 AM

Tiffany, I agree with you on anger. It's the emotion that, personally, I too find hard to understand or feel. All that adrenalin pumping through my bloodstream is scary, maybe. But it seems to be a dominating emotion for some people. Yes, we see it expressed in politics, but it's often wreaking havoc - invisibly - in families, relationships, & work situations. That's the deeper problem. And, there may well be a link between political anger & personal.