Anger
Anger is like a bee. It shows up suddenly right in your personal space and its buzzing is too loud to ignore. Some people react to it by screaming and flailing their arms in hopes it will be scared away. Others stand very still trying not to provoke or appeal to it in any way. Then there are those that attack the bee in a preemptive strike sort of way. The bee may have peacefully moved on to getting nectar from a flower but they go after it anyway. They either get stung or they squash the bee. Both result in the bee's death.
The thing is that there will always be bees. We need them to help make our food grow. We need them to give us a taste of the sweetness of life. Killing all the bees is not the answer. Neither is acting like they don't affect us.
So what is the answer? How should I respond to the anger that buzzes into my space? Walk away and hope it gets distracted by a flower? Deny its existence and, if I get stung, act like it doesn't hurt?
I never seem to land on an answer that stops the questions.
Anger is an indicator that something is wrong... a boundary has been crossed, I'm afraid of something, my feelings are hurt. So when anger comes around, it's good to figure out what is the underlying cause and deal with it on that level. So many people (myself included) are afraid of anger. But when you learn to be comfortable with it, then it's no longer in charge. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember being told by a wise friend once that anger is always a secondary emotion. It follows a primary emotion, often fear, pain, or sadness. I find this knowledge helpful when dealing with my own anger issues.
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