The Main Myth About Anger

Anger is a complex emotion. One of the major reasons why the emotion of anger has gained a primarily negative reputation is that there is so much misinformation about what anger is and can be, and we only tend to hear and read about unhealthy expressions of anger. It’s tragic that the mostly incorrect and inaccurate misinformation far outweighs the true and accurate facts regarding this powerful and potentially transformative emotion.’ –Dr. Gary Oliver, author of Mad About Us

Let’s start at the beginning and dispel one of the biggest myths about anger.  The myth states that anger is wrong, and that to feel angry or express angry feelings will automatically lead to negative outcomes.

If you truly want to release yourself from living a life defined by anger, then becoming informed about the facts related to anger and letting go of the myths is essential.

Anger does not always lead to negative outcomes. It is not the cause of violence and it is not always a bad thing.  Anger let’s us know that something is wrong, and is intended to be a healthy signal that enables our survival.  It’s when this survival mechanism is used out of context that trouble starts. In short the difference between healthy anger and unhealthy anger is one act – aggression.  Whether aggression sneaks quietly into the room or comes in guns blazing, you can be assured the outcome will almost always be damaging.

The key to using anger well is to understand and own one’s anger and channel the energy this emotion creates into positive and constructive outcomes.  Using anger skillfully is not something many of are equipped to do, and it’s this failing to use anger appropriately that it turns from a healthy emotion into an unhealthy action. Using anger in mindful, respectful ways is not something we are taught growing up, in fact we are usually exposed to destructive experiences of anger from an early age and this then informs our relationship to anger throughout our lives.

The key is to be aware of our experience of anger and choose to express it in healthy ways.  By using anger in ways that are helpful it can actually increase mutual understanding, and help strengthen and enrich our relationships and ultimately our lives.  Angermanagementcourses.net specialise in writing and publishing online anger management courses designed to create lasting change.