The Morality Of Anger

[Galloglasses]

First of all, I'll start out by saying that I am, by my nature, an Angry Person. And no, I don't regard it as bad or a damaging trait. Because it has actually helped me. For example, almost every single piece of literature, art, and flash work I've done, is because of my anger. It literally fuels my willpower. (For those asking, I don't use meditation techniques of any sort. Western or Eastern. As I started utilising my anger when I was younger and had no idea what meditation even was.) Of course I did pop the lid when I was younger, a few fights, nothing too serious, (except for two hospitalisations... that weren't me. Don't worry those weren't serious either, I just REALLY regret doing them and have since made up with those two guys. It happened years ago by this stage), and have since bottled it. I somehow managed to subjagete my anger and use it to exert my will over myself, rather then simply nuetralising it. Now, for the past eight months, i've been mega calm and quiet, and mega depressed, my mind fogging, I go around feeling like my eyes are made of charcoal, and no matter how hard I try I cannot reign control over my thoughts. My talents have been reduced to nothing because of this state cuasing me to not be able to use them effectively, OK, scratch that, my talents are worthless to me now since I've forgotten how to write properly, draw properly, animate, negotiate and the thousands of other thought processes needed to put together a story. (I love story telling, and stories in general), Worst of all I've forgotten my own most developed character.

Now today at work, it was business as usual and my mind as frazzled as ever. Then all of a sudden, while I was pulling the pallet Jack through the blast freezer to lift up another pallet to put into the back, it clicks the heel of my foot, right between where my jeans end and my shoe begins. It hurt like Hell. And all of a sudden I got enraged and just wanted to break something due to the sheer pain. This wasn't the surpising thing, the surprising thing is I controlled it instinctively, and instead decided the slam my fists into a stack of cardboard boxes packed with meat instead of breaking something important. I had not felt so alive nor was my head so clear, nor was I more in control of myself in the past eight months then I was in those eight minutes, and I put that clarity to good use to analyse what the hell just happened, thats when I realised this idea about my anger.

Now here's the problem, this was anger over a stupid mistake, not anger for the Love of God, nor Anger over a wrongful injustice, but anger induced by stupidity. Now, while this anger HAS done alot of good for me today, and has in the past, can it be called 'good' because I am in control of it? Can any anger be good? Is anger good because it is an emotion? Is wrath just a possible consequence of Anger and not an intrinsic part of it? Are they the same thing? Or is Wrath just a twisted version of Anger the way that Lust is the Devil's Antithesis to Love? Or is anger a thing to be avoided at all costs? Should it be fought? Or should it be destroyed? Or should it be used?

This thread is open, fire away with questions and answers on this topic.

[Noel's angel]

Anger can be a good thing, but it depends on whether it is justified. I would say anger in itself, is neither good nor bad, because it is simply a feeling. What we chose to do with it, is another matter. We can use it as a catalyst to do good, or we can let it control us. Regardless of what has made you angry, it is what you do with the anger that matters. In the word of St. Bernadette, "The first impulse is not ours, but the second one is up to us."

Edited July 22, 2008 by Noel's angel

[CatherineM]

I was very angry when I was younger. It seemed to help in my athletic pursuits, and may have even been responsible for the litigator I became.

As I've gotten older, I just rarely get angry at all. It could be maturity, it could be I just used it all up, or it could be part of the personality change that can happen with a traumatic brain injury. No way to know.

I remember hearing a speaker at AA (had a roommate I took to meetings for years) talk about justifiable anger. He said that their big book said that they can't allow themselves even justifiable anger and stay sober. I found that interesting.

[Barbarus]

Anger runs in my family, so it's something I've given quite a bit of thought to over the years. Anger can be a powerful motivator, it's true, but when I act out of anger, even when I think I'm justified, I typically find that two things are true. First, often I've used poor judgment because I acted unreasonably in my anger. Second, often the ends I've achieved are at a great emotional cost, and I end up feeling drained and unfulfilled.

I've learned a lot about this by talking to my fiance. He's a bit older than I am, and has more experience being angry and dealing with people. He observed recently that there are indeed times that you want to let loose on someone who has done something to make you angry, or that you want to act out in some way, but that rarely brings fulfillment and often ends up damaging the relationship and failing to accomplish anything good. He's right, I think. Anger is not necessarily a bad thing, but it must be ruled first and foremost by love, and it is very easy for us to use anger to our own selfish advantage.

[Winchester]

[quote name='Barbarus' post='1605529' date='Jul 22 2008, 08:23 PM']Anger runs in my family...[/quote]
...

[Justin86]

I think it's interesting that there are people who are motovated by anger. It seems to destroy most people, but for others it may do some good. Fascinating.

[CatherineM]

That's a good observation Justin. There have been times that I have gotten lots done because of anger, and others where I was so angry, that all I could do was cry or shake.

[misereremi]

I remember reading the Didache when I was younger and I copied this quote in my diary:

[quote]Be not prone to anger, for anger leads to murder[/quote]

So much truth in that.

(But anger can be righteous, what Noel's Angel was saying. )

[Socrates]

Anger as a simple emotion is morally neutral. It's part of our survival mechanism which enables us to protect ourselves and others. If not reigned in by reason, it can become sinful (wrath), like most of our other emotions and appetites. Anger can become righteous when defending the good.

I think the trick isn't to deny anger, but to properly reign and channel it to work for positive, rather than destructive purposes.