Is anger always bad? Or can anger serve a good purpose?
By Awinds
@Awinds (2468)
United States
July 15, 2011 9:45pm CST
Anger - when people get really mad and/or hot under the collar. Anger is a hot energy that explodes all at once. We classify anger as negative. Anger causes us to hurt those close to us, and in some cases to inflict damage on helpless physical objects as well. Anger can ruin relationships and drive repair bills up in extreme cases.
But is anger always a negative that leads to disaster? Or can anger be a motivator to do something necessary in the right situations? For example, let's say there is an intruder in one's home. This intruder is hurting the family inside. Anger can drive one of the family members passed their fear and into action - action that could save the rest of the family from getting hurt even more.
On the other hand anger can be a poison that destroys progress. Two countries are in the middle of coming up with a treaty, but then memories of the bloody past are brought to mind anew. Anger follows. You can say goodbye to the treaty that might have ended the bloodshed.
So what do you think? Is anger always bad or can it serve a good purpose? Is anger always a wrong reaction or can it be justified in certain situations?
6 people like this
9 responses
@maezee (41997)
• United States
16 Jul 11
I disagree with the first person totally!!! Anger is a totally a normal feeling and we all experience it whether or not we care to admit to it. I think it's how we handle it that makes it "good" or "bad". Obviously you can have some mega anger management problems, but the point is that you need to manage it well. There's a big difference in being AGGRESSIVE and PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE (both are bad). I think it's about finding a balance. Taking productive action without being violent, and without bottling things up inside.
1 person likes this
@mindym (978)
• United States
16 Jul 11
Very well said,
maezee! Everyone deals with anger at some point, but everyone handles it differently. It is how we handle or manage our anger that matters the most. I agree with everything that you stated and how you stated it.
maezee! Everyone deals with anger at some point, but everyone handles it differently. It is how we handle or manage our anger that matters the most. I agree with everything that you stated and how you stated it.
@_sketch_ (5742)
• United States
16 Jul 11
Anger can certainly be justified, but that doesn't mean that it makes it positive. Anger is a power that noone can control. It will use its host and destroy it if it gets the chance. Anger is caused by fear. I don't believe it makes one pass their fear. I don't believe that it is needed to fight or take action.
1 person likes this
@_sketch_ (5742)
• United States
17 Jul 11
Would the parent not be fearing that the child may not be learning anything, may get in trouble, is not following the parent and teacher's authority? The parent may fear that they aren't a good parent and that this behavior reflects on them. Yes, still in this case I believe that the anger is caused by fear.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
17 Jul 11
It serves a purpose, to express a strong emotion , a reaction to a situation. True How you express anger differs. Shouting may not solve anything but one can express anger without shouting and throwing things. It can show the boundaries in a relationship have been breached.So it all depends on How you express it , But I am living proof you should express it , don;t hold it inside. I did that for years and all it did was hurt me. so I say anger is a good thing that can be destructive.
@dodo19 (47133)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
20 Jul 11
I think that generally, anger tends to lead to unpleasant situations. I don't always think that it's good. However, sometimes, it can. I don't think that this happens very often, but nevertheless I think that it can. Anger is normal for human beings. I'm not trying to say that it's a good think or anything like that. I'm just saying that it's normal for us to get angry at people and at situations sometimes. It's going to happen, from time to time.
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
16 Jul 11
I think anger is a natural emotion, but when left to build up and explode, it can be extremely damaging. I believe it can be put to good use if channelled into making things better rather than for destructive purposes.
1 person likes this
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
17 Jul 11
Anger is simply an emotion, like any other. All emotions can be good or bad, even the ones we assume are always good, like love and compassion.
Anger can be a great driving force, especially if it's directed at injustice. I would imaging that most of the people who have changed the world for the better were very angry people (deep down, not necessarily on the surface) but they directed the energy from their anger into something constructive instead of using it to destroy.
That said, there's a big difference between anger and aggressiveness. The latter is always bad, IMHO. 
1 person likes this
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
16 Jul 11
I think anger can be good if it's expressed in the right manner. Everyone gets frustrated and anger is sometimes a good way to let off some of that frustration rather than bottling it inside, but it's all about how to approach that catharsis.
For me, when I was in high school during the racquetball tournement I would always try to get in an argument with someone because I played so much better when I was mad. It wouldn't be a real argument and we'd make up afterwards, but enough so that I was annoyed and a big angry so I could vent my anger on the racquetball and I was one of the top in my class because of it. I was like that with most sports lol.
It wouldn't be a real argument and we'd make up afterwards, but enough so that I was annoyed and a big angry so I could vent my anger on the racquetball and I was one of the top in my class because of it. I was like that with most sports lol.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
16 Jul 11
Most of the time anger is perceived to be bad. But there are times that anger is good also.
If your child is always disobeying you on some things you would like him done, then it is necessary that you have to show your anger so that she/he may know that you are serious in having it done.
But when anger is done in such a way that it really humiliates the person then, it is bad.
@meriel (101)
• Philippines
16 Jul 11
Anger is a usual mode of a person. but sometimes it drive to unpleasant situation specially if you can hurt others because you are angry to that person or to other person that you won't mind anymore the things that you have said. and realized after that you must not say(s) those things. but sometimes we can't control our anger specially if it deals with pain.
