Anatomy of anger

Boss steaming with anger. Pinterest

A woman with no harmony because of hormone problem. CartoonStock

If there is one  man who does not have desires, he in not all a human being, he may a demigod. Desire is a driving force in our lives, so man's desires are insatiable and they keep growing as his status changes then and there. If one desire is fulfilled, another one is born. Our desires will go on 'ad-infinitum.' or into infinity. When man is obsessed with so many desires, he will definitely run into serious problems. A true follower of desire does not get the results as he expected, disappointment will be writ  largely on his otherwise calm face. Consequently his anger along with frustration is aroused to a point where he feels restless and get angry with somebody, who is believed to be responsible.

Anger  is nothing but an emotional reaction  that is used as a protective mechanism to cover up fear, hurt or sadness. It is often accompanied by change in physical condition of the body that takes the impact. A person  may experience increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and increased levels of adrenaline and nor- adrenaline. Anger, an intense emotional response, is the result of an uncomfortable situation, hurt, threat or provocation. If not controlled, it causes untold miseries like a towering inferno.

 If our kid makes a mistake that affects others, we just give a damn and say 'he might have done it on provocation. If it is other way round, the other kid is a brat, an incorrigible  devil, Why this partiality?  By getting angry, we are punishing ourselves the mistakes of others. We do not realize that underneath anger lies pain. Often, we are blind to reason and assume we have done it on merit even if we are doubtful.  If we are magnanimous enough to look at others getting angry, as we tend to look at ourselves, perhaps we will stop blaming others and will make a sincere attempt to see why  the other man gets angry or loses his temper. If  we are honest, we may see our faults and justify his anger. In a tense situation like this, introspection will put a break on our thought process and the result is better behavior.

It has been widely held that reason and anger are poles apart and they seldom act together. When anger takes us over, our reason is lost, we will grope in the dark and fail to know what is right and what is wrong. Our Sastras emphasis the fact that elders, teachers and parents should be treated with utmost respect, even if they behave erratically. It is an act of humility that we've gained since our early childhood and it will help us get rid of the evils of ego and anger.

When we are moody because of dissatisfaction or frustration, we show it on the poor people around us. Such powder-keg anger will take us only to the blind alley. We must learn to accept life as it comes and be content with what we have.  We can achieve it with meditation, prayer and patience. When these are applied in unison, we develop discretionary power and we will be able to control our pent-up emotions that may explode like a powerful volcano. 

So, when we run into  a short-tempered person, it is wrong to insult him that will be equal to calling a blind man by using his  physical impairment. It is likely that the person may have a mental handicap such as anger.  what will happen when we meet anger with anger?  It is something like two cowpokes pointing six-shooters at each other. The result is zilch. It will be nothing but disaster.

When confronted with people who are prone to lose their temper, we can sincerely try to conquer their anger and irritability by love or patience. A wise man never loses his control over his emotion, unlike  a fool who gives full vent to his anger. Introspection and discretion are  basic elements with which you can deal with a person with short temper.