Anger bears an uncanny resemblance to fire. An element considered a bad master but a very good servant. Its taken me a while to realize that like fire, anger when controlled properly is a necessary and I daresay positive emotion
So I took a trip into my mental archive to look for moments when anger has provided positive fuels
I have seen footballers perform at their best when something has angered them in a match
Again our Lord Jesus rid his church of opportunists and market place tendencies with his first display of anger
I have seen people consumed by love and act foolishly till anger sweeps away the crippling impact of mushy love and "frees" them
I have seen children, spouses, friends etc translate anger into a will to achieve or succeed. Absentee parents, wrong words exchanged, etc etc are examples of how the spark could be created. Anger in these situations is easily translated into a will to prove the "detractor" wrong or simply show i can do this by myself
So why do we all view anger in only its negative. Truth is this piece is inspired by anger, I am seething within but a calm exterior allows me to channel the energy created by this anger
I think there are different types of anger;
For the purposes of this piece identified 3 main types:
What I call WILDFIRE, burns quickly, powerfully, generates a lot of destruction in a short period . It's weaknesses are that it's obvious, loud and lacks staying power. Usually easy and quick to ignite and short-lived. Usually full of adrenalin, brought on during sporting activities, debates of any kind. Typically masculine
Then the VOLCANO; quite dangerous, unexpected unless the causes are being observed. It could be brewing under the surface for days, weeks, months and when it finally erupts it could last for a short or long period depending on planning. Also destructive and a bit more dangerous because it's activities are sometimes planned. It could erupt unexpectedly especially when the recipient can't take the taunts anymore. Both Masculine and feminine. Also has adrenaline with a bit of thinking behind it
SLOWBURN; deliberate, slow, planned and totally deadly. This type of anger is a paradox because it's patient....it builds up into a crescendo. You rarely or never see it coming, never forewarns you. It's definitely feminine ;)
I believe this is the most dangerous, because it's the most deliberate. Slow burn is interestingly not the reason why "anger" has such a bad reputation because it's usually disguised, however when slow burn results in an action it's usually malicious and negative - but not always- there are situations where slow burn is good because it gives the angry person time to think and probably step off the anger trip. Sometimes the reason for anger is removed or reduced over time
So back to my earlier question; in these 3 definitions does anger have any positivity?
I say yes again because it does the most important job of generating attention. In times of monotony, stubbornness, disregard etc sometimes the right dose of anger properly used and controlled when need be can drive a change in behavior; from your children, your colleagues, friends etc etc
One of the interesting things to note about anger is the moment after....so the moment after could be a minute later, 24 hrs later or much longer depending on how bad :)
However when anger is dissipated what are you left with;
Regret, relieve, pain, calmness or a mix of some of these emotions. This is primarily dependent on your actions and the results of your actions not dependent on the anger itself.
I will end by saying that we should therefore control anger and use it to achieve desirable results and emotions especially when the "moment" is over but by all means be ANGRY sometimes not all the time though
Sent from my iPad
No comments:
Post a Comment