“Of what use is anger, when the same end can be arrived at by reason? Do you suppose that a hunter is angry with the beasts he kills?”
Seneca
Sitting tight at a corner, chest tight, blood literally boiling at him, her, that, them and what have you. Is it really worth it?
This feeling of aiming at reciprocating, challenging, 'gingering' someone is somewhat inexplicable to the human mind. This is Anger!
I have once been its victim. I used to get angry so easily by people and situations that were against my inner self. I would always make that face grim, and keep that feeling in me for hours and sometimes days. A look at the individual will constantly remind me of what they had done to me, and how I could plot a payback scheme to satisfy my inner desire. Somehow, I felt incomplete. But one thing I have found amazing is that many times the things or the people who made me angry are always happier than me. They feel more satisfied. It is as if they didn't do anything to me. It felt weird, and hurtful to say the least. Many are going through this same experience. Sadly and annoyingly, the perpetrator is usually an individual who is above you in rank.
Five years ago, I stumbled on a video on YouTube about an encounter between a boy and Buddha on how to manage anger. Buddha taught that anger can be managed through the act of mindfulness and meditation. You can learn to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment. You can learn to let go of your anger and resentment, and cultivate compassion and understanding instead. This experience changed my life. It summarized all of the feelings I had, and mentioned the key ingredients I needed to get rid of anger. I had to change.
In the spectrum of change, I adapted some social healthy behaviors to limit my anger sparks and as well improve my mood. I began to do some long walks, going to the beach at least twice a week, apologize to the individual who is causing me pain, and write about my day. Scientific evidence has it that anger is linked to raised stress hormone (adrenaline) release. When one gets angry, the brain muscle becomes tense, releases that hormone, your blood pressure rises, heart beats faster, and blood rushes to the rest of the body in preparation for an attack. These activities are caused by the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. Another part of one’s brain, the prefrontal cortex (around the forehead) regulates judgement. How beautiful nature is! If there is an imbalance or a lack of control, there are tendencies for worse actions like retaliations, bad mood and lack of productivity, and decrease lifespan. I had to put that science thing in it lol.
So there you have it my dear reader 🫴🏾 The world as we know it is full of individuals or circumstances that will make you angry. But your secret weapon is to not retaliate, rather employ strategies that improve mood so that you might enjoy your life. You only live once (YOLO) 😊
