Desire that is frustrated results in anger.¹

What lies beneath anger-in all its varying shades-is the need to be accepted, respected, and loved. The need to have the felt sense of being held within the heart and mind of a loving, accommodating, and competent other. And yet, as long as we are unable to acknowledge anger, compassion can be blocked through the unprocessed guilt associated with rage.² Sadly, most people never realize this.

CHILDREN, ANGER AND INTERACTION

We begin forming connections in our brain from the day we are born. If children don’t experience social contentedness and affection, it activates their threat system-and the two big emotions here are fear and anger.³ And since we are a highly social species, our brains are being created, recreated, and co created perpetually through interaction, ruminations(regurgitating past memory experiences), and worry(dread regarding the future).

ANGER vs ANXIETY

Anger and anxiety are related at many different levels. The sympathetic nervous system of the human autonomic system is activated whenever a stimulus is perceived by the senses as a threat. As this happens, physiological arousal occurs. In the case of anger, the angry person will attack, while the anxious person will retreat and avoid contact. But this is not always the case.

In some cases a person may become infuriated due to a perceived insult, or sense of indignation, but may not attack. The timing to revolt may not be right, or they may be prone to hatred, in which case the person would likely be of a sadistic, or vindictive nature. In this case, they may plan and carry out malicious conspiracies to inflict maximum pain and suffering onto others, in the hopes of deriving pleasure from it, in the process, in thought, or when their actions are successful.

EFFECT OF ANGER ON SELF AND SOCIETY

Anger is a primary emotion in Yoga that is given utmost attention and respect. Respect because anger can lead to either constructive or destructive action. As people move out of Apathy and Grief to overcome Fear as a way of life, they begin to want; Desire leads to frustration, which in turn leads to Anger. Thus, Anger can be a fulcrum by which the oppressed are eventually catapulted to freedom. Anger over social injustice, victimization, and inequality has created great movements that led to major changes in the structure of society.⁴

Anger is extremely difficult to control. Anger washes over the angry, enveloping him in a flood of delusion. Delusion obscures memory and eradicates intellect causing decay of the discriminating faculties. Since anger expresses itself most often as resentment and revenge, it is therefore, volatile and dangerous. Anger as a lifestyle is exemplified by irritable, explosive people who are oversensitive to slights and become “injustice collectors,” quarrelsome, belligerent, or litigious. Some people can seeth for decades in anticipation of revenge. These types of people may have come into the body of an adult, but their consciousness did not evolve through their many reincarnations.

Where there is anger, there is no peace. Anger blinds reason, and impairs health and behavior in numerous ways. Impatience, violence, irritation, inner seething, resentment, malicious anger, passionate anger, childish anger, anger for show, and superficial anger. Anger is the result of fear. Whenever you see an angry person, know that here is someone who is very afraid.

These days anger has become a fashion. Some people think that to look mean and display anger in public is cool. Whenever you encounter a person who's display of anger is motivated by this reason, know that here is a person who has an identity based in shame and inadequacy.

The mindfulness tool in this application will help you pinpoint both, your aggressive and passive aggressive tendencies, such as sarcasm, sulking, holding intimacy, and sabotaging behaviors such as adultery and addiction. Once you become mindful of these obstacles to love and compassion, you will be able to work with them in a healthier way.

If you've spent your life covering up your angry feelings by "putting a lid on it," this may be difficult, but not impossible. Remember, an impulse always comes before a reaction. If you can recognize the impulse, you can begin to identify the feeling of anger building inside you. Then, once you recognize the signs of hidden anger, you can have more freedom in responding to it.⁵