As an avid people watcher, I often am privy to some unusual moments in a stranger’s life, some good and some bad.
Like Personal Growth on Facebook
For as many times as I’ve seen a tender, romantic moment between a couple or the look of sheer bliss in a mother’s eye as she spends time with her child, I’ve also seen my fair share of outbursts.
It’s watching people erupt in anger that really fascinates me.
For me, anger is a very private emotion. I try not to lash out in anger at anyone, largely because I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of such.
Often, anger brings a rush of other emotions to me and it’s hard to compose myself while effectively communicating.
As a result, I’ll take time to myself to process my anger so that I can revisit the issue with clarity.
While my way of handling things works for me, I’ve recently learned that there are actually benefits to getting angry. Allow me to explain.
1. Anger Can Be Constructive
Often we associate anger with a loss of control, but for many, anger puts them in control. Being angry can motivate you to reach your goals that much more. Think of all the times you’ve been upset by being told you can’t do something.
Now, recognize that you can turn that upset into anger, an anger that motivates you to achieve what they said you couldn’t and much more.
As long as you’re sure that anger isn’t clouding your goals, it can be a marvelous motivation.
2. Anger Can Make You Brave
Anger doesn’t come from nowhere. Anger comes from a feeling of insult and outrage at being treated unjustly. We’re told that lashing out in anger is wrong and hurtful but what about what keeping it in does to us?
Bottling up anger is damaging to the way we communicate with and interact other opinions.
Relationships where people don’t argue aren’t indicative of a perfect matching, but rather of a pair of people unwilling to handle the disagreements that are intrinsic to interpersonal relationships.
Getting out your anger can help build your relationships up rather than tear them down.
3. Anger Can Help You Grow
When you notice yourself getting angry, you also notice what makes you angry. This presents you with an option.
Do you need whatever is making you angry in your life? It’s not the only criteria, of course, but it’s an indicator of things that are problematic in your life. Try paying your anger some attention and see what you can learn about yourself from it.
4. Anger Can Keep You From Hurting Yourself Or Others
Bottling up anger can result in frustration, but it also has another effect. Keeping your emotions to yourself can, and often will, result in lashing out.
Whether it’s a physical outburst or an emotional one, taking a cue from your anger and understanding it can save you from a lot of hurt.
5. Anger Can Be Good For Your Health
Suppressing your anger can harm your physical health as well as your emotional health. Many studies have concluded that suppressing anger puts stress on the cardiovascular system and can lead to both anxiety and depression.
On the other hand, addressing and harnessing anger can be helpful.
Aristotle once said “Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.”
In my time considering my own relationship with anger, I’ve determined that what is within your power is learning and growing as a result of how you feel.
Instead of seeing your anger as a paralyzing emotion, see it as what it really is, an opportunity to turn negatives into positives.
