this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2024
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Racism, sexism and all the various other "hate these people" isms and phobias are arguably methods for expressing and rationalizing anger. And they're bad. But what's a good way?

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[–] Archelon 82 points 9 months ago (6 children)

Once a therapist told me that a lot of the time anger is a secondary emotion; that is, it’s an emotion that comes out of another emotion.

So you don’t necessarily get angry out of nothing, but you get angry because you’re scared, or disappointed, or you feel wronged, or something else.

So their recommendation was to identify the emotion that’s making you angry, and express/rationalize that instead.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I get angry because of frustration about things beyond my control that impact me negatively and can't simply be ignored. Knowing that extra step is great and all, but doesn't reduce the frustration or the anger. I'm sure that identifying the difference is helpful to some people who can ignore or address the actual cause of their anger.

Note: I don't get angry about frustrating things that I can do something about, or can be ignored.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago

As a teen, I would consciously turn hurt into hate to avoid it. I was emotionally aware enough to know that I was running from it, but not emotionally aware enough to confront it. Therapy works, folks.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Excuse me, but sometimes, I just want to be angry and not "rationalize the causes of my anger". I think it's fully okay to be pissed about something and wanting to vocalize your anger without immediately neutering it by "expressing" the thing that made you angry instead. I would even say that trying to extinguish your emotions constantly will cause you to explode like a pressure cooker one day. You are just invalidating your own emotional reaction. Same thing applies when someone hurts me. You hurt me, goddamn it, I am gonna tell you why I got hurt, but most importantly, I am going to express how much I got hurt.

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[–] dustyData 60 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (9 children)

Heavy metal. Literally. Singing, listening, playing, headbanging to heavy metal. Just like listening to sad music helps with sadness because it provides a safe outlet for emotion. So does engaging with angry music. Some of the mildest, most accepting and emotionally well adjusted people I've met were metal heads. And they were social activists as well.

[–] DontTreadOnBigfoot 20 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I combine two of the suggestions in this post.

I blow off steam by simultaneously listening to, and lifting, heavy metal.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

You'll probably enjoy this

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago

https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2015/06/head-banging-tunes-can-have-same-effect-warm-hug

There have been a few similar studies that support this. Largely that it has a catharsis effect to let someone else be angry for you.

[–] Anticorp 3 points 9 months ago

I've never found a better song for this than Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine.

[–] Maggoty 3 points 9 months ago

Listening to sad music can cause a spiral. Absolutely do not recommend unless you've specifically setup a playlist to transition emotionally and at least looked up how to do so in a healthy manner. (Like don't go from sad songs to rage metal.)

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[–] WeeSheep 27 points 9 months ago

Exercise and processing emotion without letting yourself explode from it. Then, assess how you felt and determine how to avoid the situation in the future. If possible, talk to the person or people who you would like to build a better, healthier relationship with. Or, leave that portion of your life if possible, if it is truly toxic.

[–] thezeesystem 26 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Kill pixels and destroy the pixelated worlds of video games and then create a paradise in it.

[–] DontTreadOnBigfoot 6 points 9 months ago

What, and let those video games turn me into a serial killer?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I’m convinced that there is around 50% of the general adult population that has zero emotional intelligence and lives in a state of emotional ping pong. Just raw emotional energy that is entirely at the whim of whatever happens to be in their line of sight.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 9 months ago (6 children)

What works for me :

  1. I remove myself from the situation that caused the anger.

  2. I let myself live the anger for a minute or two, or a bit more if needed.

  3. When the anger is gone, I identify what emotion is the cause of anger. Anger is 99% a reaction to a negative emotion.

  4. I say outloud to myself the reason of my anger. Otherwise, I feel like the anger is pent-up.

  5. If my anger was directed at someone, I apologize and explain why I was angry.

  6. Finally, I reflect on the situation and the emotions I experienced. Sometimes it's 30 seconds, sometimes it's a few days, depending on the gravity of the situation. By understanding what caused the negative emotions, I can handle it better in the future.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

This is a nice way to look at anger. Kind of similar to something my therapist said a long time ago. #3 specifically is a huge one.

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[–] joneskind 20 points 9 months ago

Swearing. This is the purpose of bad words.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

This is a question that should be asked and learned in school. Maybe then we wouldn't have so many broken people.

Ever notice how no schools have any emotional intelligence lessons whatsoever?

It's all focused on learning shit for work. Not much for handling life issues, that happens to everyone, all the time.

[–] Cinner 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

Ever notice how no schools have any emotional intelligence lessons whatsoever?

I don't remember it being a thing when I was a kid but both my kids have had classes that teach these things.

I also remember I was having issues with a kid in school and the school counselor sat us down and talked to us about anger and emotions, etc. I think we had a short daily session for a few weeks. This was in the 90s.

The American education is state funded daycare with forced learning about dry topics, so we don't even remember 90% of what we learned. People talk about wishing they learned about taxes and resumes etc in school. Those were Freshman and Sophomore level electives for us in a small town in the early 00s.

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[–] Maggoty 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

Conversation with the person you're angry at if they're available and willing to engage in good faith.

Otherwise you're going to need an outlet like music, crying, video games, crying, outdoor meditation, crying, throwing a half full plastic water bottle at a metal dumpster until your worn out, crying, getting active in politics, or ... Crying.

Seriously we get told we're not allowed to cry and that's bullshit. We have a built in stress response system. Go have a good cry and then think about long term solutions to whatever is making you angry. Someone is ignoring you? Disassociate from them. (Not from yourself, that way lies much therapy) Someone is violating your rights? Call the government. It's the government doing it? Vote and protest.

Dealing with anger is always a multi step thing. The worst thing you can do is meditate and then nothing else. All you've done is escaped the moment. It will come back.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago (2 children)
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[–] Deestan 14 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

And mosh pits

[–] Nefara 12 points 9 months ago

Using it to fuel the motivation to change things. Get mad that you tripped over a cable? Time to finally do something about cable management. Is your boss or your job making you furious? Take the time to explore new opportunities. Pissed at how politics are going? Find out who represents your district and write them an email about the topic and make your voice heard. Anger can be a good thing when it makes someone get off their butt and make a change for the better.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 months ago

Beating your partner. No, wait… Shooting up a bunch of strangers. No, that's still not right.

Fuck, living in America has deprived me of the ability to answer this question correctly. (this is satire. see my other comment.)

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago

Mutual aid. Helping people directly defuses a lot.

Weightlifting. Squatting is like screaming into a pillow but with gainz.

[–] ChunkMcHorkle 9 points 9 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

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[–] Okokimup 8 points 9 months ago

I've gotten some of my best house cleaning done while angry.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I go break bottles behind the WaWa.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter 2 points 9 months ago

There is something very therapeutic about smashing things that shatter. I go for dollar store flower pots in my driveway (I live in the country and the neighbors can't see me).

[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Ok some examples that makes me angry:

  • People being mean to animals

  • People who don't care about others (plays loud music, talks loudly on phone in public places etc).

  • People who treat others badly because they look good and think they are better because of it

I think the right response to this is to get angry. Not saying its helping, but getting angry at someone is perfectly fine sometimes.

Maybe the problem is that we don't show anger, so the idiots mentioned above never gets to suffer for their actions.

[–] samus12345 8 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

Shouting and cursing at my computer. It definitely helps with debugging, too.

[–] Phegan 7 points 9 months ago

See a therapist

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago

Invest in a manual typewriter and cathartically type out ranty letters by pressing each key as hard as possible.

[–] friend_of_satan 4 points 9 months ago

Scream into a pillow.

Argue with yourself from the other perspective.

Think "Fuck you! I'm going to make the world a better place!" And then actually do something constructive with all the energy your anger gave you.

[–] ABCDE 4 points 9 months ago

Kicking a football, you can hit it as hard as you can at the goal and it's more acceptable than at a person directly.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

Metalworking? Pounding a piece of steel with a hammer for an hour or two sounds like a great way to blow off some steam

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

"I feel angry because (X)."

Where X = the reason you are angry.

Edit: I should point out that if the reason you are angry is a racist, sexist, or otherwise unreasonable reason, that's on you. If this offends you, maybe consider not being shitty?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

[anger intensifies]

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'd have to agree that anger isn't usually it's own emotion, it's a specific expression of fear or sadness. There are always exceptions I think, but usually there's more to it.

My favorite thing is to express those things through humor. It's not for everybody. If you're not funny enough you can just sound like an idiot or an asshole, as I can. Other times it enables you to attack the root of the problem in a digestible way that doesn't make a person feel attacked.

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[–] sir_pronoun 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Playing competitive video games (might not be healthy for everybody)

[–] ABCDE 3 points 9 months ago

I had to stop playing DotA...

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