Anger Unmasked: Empowering Anger
Anger has gotten a bad wrap!
“I don’t think of anger as a bad thing anymore. It’s fuel that can lead to change.
Audre Lorde
As mentioned in the last post, anger gets a really bad rap. Most think of it as an explosive emotion that shows up when people are out of control. What is seen are bad reactions rather than the actual emotion. Remember, there are no bad emotions. In and of themselves, emotions are just indicators that lead our minds and nervous systems toward an appropriate response. When allowed, any emotion can get out of control.
Anger that is contained and utilized to fulfill needs can be empowering. It is important to note that this is not weaponizing anger to take advantage of anyone else. This is something quite different. Situations arise when our essential physical, emotional, or mental demands are disregarded. Through purposeful actions or an accidental misstep, situations or people can cross those boundaries, and a harnessed anger can be used to reinforce them. This anger should be proportional to the offense and solution-based. Without those characteristics, it can easily become disorderly. That should be avoided if possible.
Some might not know that suppressing anger or offenses can actually lead to more distress. A muted emotion is actually more likely to get out of control. The result can be a blow-up if the emotion of anger is not released with strategic purpose. Additionally, it can also be calming — but we will talk about that in the next post.