45 Must Know Anger Facts That Can Help With Anger Management

Oluwatosin Michael
Oct 19, 2023 By Oluwatosin Michael
Originally Published on Feb 03, 2022
Anger is seen by some as an emotion

Anger, sometimes known as wrath, is a powerful, unpleasant, and non-cooperative emotion.

It is a state triggered by a perceived injury or threat. Physical repercussions of rage include a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, and higher amounts of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

Anger is seen by some as an emotion that activates the fight or flight reaction. When a person takes the conscious decision to take action to halt another outside force's dangerous conduct, anger becomes the prevailing sensation behaviorally, cognitively, and physically. The English word rage is derived from an Old Norse word that means 'angry'.

Anger can manifest in physical form and have several emotional effects. Physiological reactions, body language, facial expressions, and public acts of hostility are all examples of outward displays of rage.

The inward angling of the brows to a complete frown are all examples of facial emotions. While most people who experience anger blame their arousal on 'what has occurred to them', psychologists point out that a person feeling angry can easily be misled since angry outbursts impair self-monitoring, objective observability, self-focus, and self-esteem.

Anger, according to modern psychologists, is a normal, natural, and mature emotion that almost all individuals feel at some point or the other in their lives, and this serves a practical purpose for survival.

Uncontrolled anger, on the other hand, may have a detrimental influence on one's personal or social well-being, as well as those around them. While many philosophers and authors have advised against spontaneous and uncontrollable angry outbursts, there has been debate over the worth of anger itself.

The topic of anger management has been discussed from the time of the early philosophers, but current psychologists, unlike previous authors, have also highlighted the potential negative consequences of hiding feelings of anger or rage.

Anger may linger long after it has served its purpose. You may have had good cause to experience anger or feel angry, yet angry sentiments can persist and become harmful rather than beneficial in your life. Anger may be used to convert feelings of helplessness and vulnerability into feelings of power and control.

What is anger as an emotion?

Anger is among the seven universal emotions. Anger occurs when we are prevented from achieving our goals or when we are treated unjustly.

  • Anger, at its most extreme, can be one of the most hazardous emotions due to its propensity for violence and is, therefore, a prevalent feeling for which people seek mental health therapy.
  • Anger's fundamental message is 'Get out of my way!' and can range from simple discontent to physical fights.
  • When we're furious, we can also experience other emotions like fear (of harming others or ourselves) or disgust (for the thing or person blocking you from attaining your goal).
  • If you've been taught that rage is 'evil', you could feel embarrassed or ashamed to experience anger at all. Furthermore, you can also experience remorse or feel pain if your anger caused you to do something you thought was not morally correct.
  • Because of its unique and globally identifiable facial expression, anger has always been included in the repertory of fundamental emotions. Despite this, research has revealed certain important elements that call into doubt the general biological meaning of rage.
  • Anger's psychophysiological characteristics are similar to those of other emotional states, such as generalized stress or fear or predatory conduct. It's been challenging for researchers to pinpoint a precise spot within the overall classification of happy and negative emotions.
  • Chronic anger is characterized by a negative activation that causes the angry person to seek relief from the painful feelings by engaging in active actions. At the same time, activities that are fueled by anger can lead to behaviors that are fueled by pleasant emotions.
  • The contextual factors that are predicted to trigger anger are not always identifiable, unlike other fundamental emotions.
  • Anger can be any reaction to physical discomfort, a way to protect yourself from a predator's attack (in this reason, anger is a potential effect of fear), or a feeling that encourages goal-directed conduct when a factor in the outer world prevents the intended aim from being attained, causing frustration of the nervous system.
  • Depending on how the situation is understood, a facial expression of anger might be taken as a sign of hostility, eliciting fearful emotions or a proclivity to participate in a fight. It can also generate enlivening sentiments of sharing in other topics.
  • In a similar vein, some affective or motivational states that could be linked to anger, such as hate, jealousy, envy, or the zealous pursuit of a given objective, are not accompanied by the showcase or subjective experience of anger or rage—as if these negative emotions and sentiments were culturally constructed.
  • Overall, these contentious issues do not rule out the idea of seeing rage as a fundamental emotion and assigning it a key role in our emotional lives.
  • Uncontrolled anger, according to the Bible, is destructive to both the individual who holds it and others around him. If you're searching for an alternate way to express yourself, try constructive conversation.
  • Although some wrath is permissible, the Bible states that individuals who continue to have 'fits of fury' will not be saved.

Types Of Emotion

Psychologists have identified eight sorts of emotions that humans have had from birth and have spent years comprehending or examining them in their totality.

  • Robert Plutchik was an emeritus professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a psychologist.
  • His Wheel of Emotions, which comprises eight basic emotions and eight further developed emotions, each of which is built up of two more basic emotions, depicts the interpellation of human emotions.
  • Plutchik concentrated on humans in this wheel of emotions, but he also argued that animals had modified their own sentiments to acclimate to their surroundings.
  • Fear, joy, surprise, hope, grief, anger, disgust, and acceptance were the essential emotions that created the human being and forced him to adapt to the needs of his environment. Let's look at the eight different sorts of fundamental emotions:
  • Happiness: Sadness is the emotion's polar opposite.
  • Trust: Aversion is its polar opposite.
  • Fear: Anger is the polar opposite feeling.
  • Surprise: Anticipation is the polar opposite of surprise.
  • Sadness: Joy is its polar opposite.
  • Aversion: Confidence as the polar opposite.
  • Anger: Fear is the polar opposite.
  • Anticipation: Its polar opposite is surprise.
  • The emotions on this wheel are represented in a structural form in the shape of a cone, grouped by similarity and with the opposite feeling at 180 degrees.
  • Plutchik's method highlighted the fact that multiple emotions might be mixed. As an example, hope is associated with happiness, surprise is associated with grief, and so on. That is, although we have eight universal, fundamental, or main emotions, humans are capable of expressing many more. However, each individual does not have the ability to envision an emotion in the same manner.

Stages Of Anger

We know that anger is a worldly emotion that affects just about anyone. In fact, it might be a good indicator of something in your life that needs to change or of a relationship problem that needs to be handled.

  • Anger, like other emotions, has distinct degrees of intensity or stages. Understanding how anger emotion manifests itself in your life might help you better manage it by detecting the indicators that it is approaching the surface.
  • You can assist to guarantee that it has fewer negative implications for you and the people around you by doing so.
  • Increasing your emotional intelligence or understanding of the causes behind the anger emotion by being more aware of the phases of rage may help you utilize it as a tool to achieve good and uplifting changes in your life. The following are the four phases of expressing anger.

Annoyed:

  • Most individuals feel angry or annoyed a few times every day, according to studies, and this is a symptom that someone or something is bothering or aggravating you.
  • Someone in the break room at work, for example, may have used the last fork without refilling the supply. You're a bit irritated as a result of this. It's a good idea to evaluate any ideas that are running through your mind at this point of rage.
  • Because your adrenaline levels are still fairly low, you'll be able to objectively consider some of the causes of your irritation. You'll also be able to assess if your rage is warranted, and you'll have the confidence to seek a sensible resolution in a healthy manner.

Frustrated:

  • You've entered the stage of frustration when your anger has grown beyond a little annoyance, and your stress levels have begun to rise beyond control.
  • You'll still be able to think sensibly here, but being cool and clearheaded may be more difficult due to your energy boost, heightened resentments, or discontent with what's going on.
  • That's why, at this time, it's a good idea to include some physical exercise methods like taking a peaceful deep breath, muscular relaxation techniques, and calming affirmations to release tension and keep your blood pressure maintained.

Hostile:

  • When there has been a significant build-up of stress, suffering, or worry in your life, you are more likely to become hostile. Your tolerance for irritating situations has decreased to the point that you are no longer able to deal with them peacefully.
  • This may happen for multiple reasons, including an excessive amount of physical or mental suffering, being overburdened with duties, hormone imbalances, or not knowing how to express your feelings.
  • Hostility is the step in which your feelings boil up and out of you before you can find a way to diffuse anger. The body's 'flight or fight' mechanism, which is designed to alert you to danger, kicks in at this moment.
  • Trying to 'think' your way out of your rage will almost certainly result in further frustration and fury since this reaction impacts the brain by dampening the areas responsible for social conduct and appropriate planning.
  • Even if you've been overtly antagonistic with another person and are expressing anger by snapping or shouting, there are still extremely powerful strategies to return to a more tranquil and relaxed condition in order to change the situation.
  • Making the option to go away and review the problem later is one of the most beneficial skills at this level of rage. This allows you to let go of the pent-up energy from the adrenaline surge that occurs as a result of feeling assaulted and overwhelmed by emotion.
  • It's crucial to move about physically when you're taking a rest. Consider taking a brief stroll or perhaps a complete exercise. At this point, relaxing breathing, as well as meditation and yoga, is a good idea.

Enraged:

  • This is the point at which you feel absolutely helpless. When your anger reaches this level, you may act destructively, lashing out physically, cursing excessively, or threatening violence.
  • This occurs immediately before your logical brain has a chance to actively consider your anger, and the survival center takes control.
  • You may get outraged for many of the same reasons that triggered your wrath, and reaching this stage might signal that your reactive brain region is more involved than your 'planning' brainiac base.
  • It's preferable to switch to the eight count out, four count in, gradually breathing process as soon as you feel irritated. This is the quickest technique to reduce the intensity of your emotional response.
  • It also assists you in regaining control of your reflexes as soon as possible. It's also beneficial to have some healthy management strategies in place to successfully deal with your anger before it overwhelms you and makes you physically sick.

Steps To Control Anger

Anger is natural and can be a beneficial emotion, but it's important to manage it positively. Conversely, uncontrolled anger may have a negative impact on your health and relationships. Consider these anger control suggestions as a starting point.

Consider your alternatives before speaking:

  • In the heat of the moment, it seems easy to say things that you'll regret later to express aggression or anger. Before you speak, take a few seconds to gather your thoughts – and let everyone engaged in the issue do the same.

Once you've regained your composure, vent your rage:

  • When you're thinking clearly, it's a healthy practice to express your anger in an assertive yet non-confrontational way. Express your concerns and desires openly and honestly, without causing damage or seeking to influence others.

Make an effort to exercise to combat anger:

  • Physical exercise may aid in the reduction of stress, which can help you combat anger. If you sense your anger is growing, go for a brisk run or walk or spend a little time doing other pleasurable physical activities.

Take a breather:

  • Children aren't the only ones benefiting from timeouts. Allow yourself to take little breaks throughout the day when you are experiencing difficult situations since anger feeds on stress.
  • A few seconds of stillness might help you feel better prepared to cope with whatever situation arises without feeling annoyed or agitated.

To de-stress, use comedy and a good diet:

  • Relaxation might be aided by laughing a little. You can use comedy to help you cope with whatever is bothering you, as well as any unrealistically high expectations you might have about how things should go. Poor diet is also a reason for unwanted anger, so try to have a well-balanced diet.

Physical activity:

  • To suppress aggressive tendency, attempt mixed martial arts or boxing courses.

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Written by Oluwatosin Michael

Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

Oluwatosin Michael picture

Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies. 

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