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Anger is a term for the emotional aspect of aggression, as a basic aspect of the stress response in animal|animals in which a perceived aggravating stimulus "provokes" a counterresponse which is likewise aggravating and threatening of violence. Very mild types of anger are typically described as "distaste," "displeasure", or "irritation," while "rage" refers to an extreme degree of anger associated with a loss of calmness or discipline (in the case of human conduct).
Often based in a sensation or perception of threat, anger can be considered an emotional component in the increased threat response (part of the broader "stress response") whereby the charged emotional state produces physiological effects (increased adrenaline, cortisol), thereby producing behavioural effect of heightened stress and aggression.
Anger may be "provoked" (or triggered) by perceived threats, like conflict, or by abstract concepts such as injustice. There are many physical conditions that increase the potential for one to become angry. Common contributors to irritability include fatigue, hunger, being in pain, sexual frustration, recovery from an illness, or the use of certain drugs. Other causes are hormonal changes, such as those associated with PMS, giving birth, and menopause, physical withdrawal, and bipolar disorder. Research also shows that some individuals can be genetically predisposed to higher levels of anger.
Few dictionaries provide an accurate definition of Anger in the true sense. The language is often circular ("a feeling of displeasure" is substituted, for example).
A practical definition may be:
The behavior that manifests and the physiological state (or sequence of physiological events that occur) when (1) An individual identifies a source of pain/deprivation (present or anticipated), usually from another person/organization/object, and (2) Chooses behaviors (physical or cognitive) to stop or oppose it.
The key here is the choice, the desire, to stop, to oppose the source of the pain. Without opposition, we would be left with fear behaviors (running away in the face of pain, for example). The pain/deprivation does not have to be a physical pain/threat, it can be emotional pain or abstract (i.e. being lied to, or political, such as the compromise of democratic values).
Pain and deprivation are broadly defined, and may be relative and personal. What is painful for one person emotionally, may not be for another. Deprivation could be someone being prevented from achieving a highly desired goal, or it could be depriving one of food.
The source of pain can be attributed to objects (i.e., the Universe, God, a low hanging branch). Because there is pain, however, does not mean anger is necessarily present (for example, bumping our nose into a glass pane, and simply feeling embarrassed).
The 'opposition' to pain does not have to be physically visible. The person can simply think "I want this to stop," or "I am against this." An example of an observable behavioral measure could be attempts to verbally communicate one's pain (often in a loud voice). Physical violence may be exhibited as a solution to stop the pain/deprivation.
We often exhibit anger behaviors empathically. For example, reading an article about a minority experiencing racism: We are not the victim, per se, but we imagine the victim's pain, and desire to stop the pain of prejudice.
Anger is usually magnified and extended in time when a cognitive decision is made about the intent of the individual (or organization or object) attributed to causing the pain. In other words, if we decide the pain/deprivation was intentional, "deliberate," the emotion is usually more intense.
Synonyms For Anger
affronted, annoyed, antagonized, bitter, chafed, choleric, convulsed, cross, displeased, enraged, exacerbated, exasperated, ferocious, fierce, fiery, fuming, furious, galled, hateful, heated, hot, huffy, ill-tempered, impassioned, incensed, indignant, inflamed, infuriated, irascible, irate, ireful, irritable, irritated, mad, maddened, nettled, offended, outraged, passionate, piqued, pissed, provoked, raging, resentful, riled, sore, splenetic, storming, sulky, sullen, tumultuous, turbulent, uptight, vexed, wrathful
Benefits of anger
The Hulk, a modern personification of anger and rage
There are some positive aspects of anger. The first aspect is self-protection, where our bodies are aroused into a state where they can respond with maximum physical energy for our defence in response to potential hurt. This is often referred to as the 'fight’ component of the fight-or-flight response. The second is decompression, where our bodies are given a chance to release pent-up physical tension caused by overexposure to frustration. The safe physical ventilation of anger is an effective way of helping our autonomic nervous system to switch back to its normal relaxed functioning state, which is commonly referred to as the ‘calm after the storm’.
Anger and predisposition to violence
At the end of the 19th century, Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, argued that individuals are born with an innate aggressive instinct, and when this is blocked, they have a natural urge to become hostile or angry. A century later, this view was deprecated by the American Psychological Association and the American Anthropological Association, who in 1988 reviewed the available research and concluded that people are not genetically predisposed to violence, and that violence can not be scientifically related to natural evolutionary processes. At the beginning of the 21st century, the consensus is reversing again, as recent research, conducted with the benefit of the fully-mapped human genome, has begun to pinpoint specific genes that increase the risk of socially harmful behavior such as aggressiveness, anti-social behavior, suicide, etc. (See this topic's discussion page for citations.)
Physiological effects
Anger is asssociated with a large number of physiological variables.
- Main article: The Psychophysiology of anger
Religious perspective on anger
Buddhism presents a quite different view on emotions like anger. Anger is defined here as: "being unable to bear the object, or the intention to cause harm to the object". Anger is seen as aversion with a stronger exaggeration, and is listed as one of the five hindrances.
In Christianity, causeless, excessive, or protracted anger is sinful (Matt. 5:22; Col. 3:8), and unbridled wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Bible warns "do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Eph. 4:26), that is, do not let feelings of anger last so long as to become sinful. There is, however, what is commonly referred to as "righteous anger," as demonstrated by Jesus when he made a whip and cleared out the merchants in the Temple (John 2:13-16).
See also
References & Bibliography
Key texts
Books
Papers
Additional material
Books
Papers
External links
- Anger Quotations
- A Buddhist View on Anger
- Anger, rage, and mental health disorders
- Release Anger
- Quotations on anger
- 7 Deadly Sins - Anger/Wrath A Catholic view on anger
- Deadly Sins: Anger
de:Ärger fr:Colère he:כעס nl:Woede pt:Raiva (sentimento)
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