The universal emotion of anger is often seen as a negative social norm. If someone “loses” their temper in public many people find that unacceptable especially for an adult.
Of course, everyone gets angry at least once in a while. However, society views people who remain “calm” do not show outward signs of anger, as displaying acceptable and in some sense, revered behavior.
According to PBS’s This Emotional Life website, not expressing anger is not as great or beneficial as one might think. They suggest that society sees angry displays as uncomfortable and less acceptable than expressing sadness or anxiety. This makes more people try to mask their anger. Well, the down side of that could be an explosive “temper tantrum”, which never solves any problem.
This was the case in a recent episode of the Apprentice when Meatloaf lost his cool with Gary Busey. What that video clip does not show is that Meatloaf later sincerely apologized to Gary and accepted full responsibility for his actions.
As a result of not fully expressing our anger, we do not learn how to handle our anger constructively. Anger can be managed correctly, TEL website purports, and can be a force for reflection and perhaps a breakthrough in how we feel and live our lives.
So the questions are why do we get angry, and how can one get over their anger issues and become a happier person?
Well, first accept your anger and express yourself (appropriately of course). Second, reflect on your anger don’t suppress it. The other thing you can do, according to The Emotional Life website, is to surround yourself with happy people and you in turn will be happier.
Take a look at the video below about social networking and happiness.
Watch the full episode. See more This Emotional Life.
Research has already determined that a side effect of Botox is the inability to fully express emotions. New research, according to msnbc.com , reveals anther side effect: the inability to fully feel emotions.