I used to think that there is a time and place for anger; that if used properly it can be a powerful rhetorical tool. The more I see it used, the less I believe that to be true. Anger almost never (I say ‘almost’ because only a Sith deals in absolutes) has a place in a strong argument. If you want someone to see things from your perspective, getting angry severely limits their ability to do so unless they also feel the same anger, at which point you have likely entered an echo chamber. I feel like anger is often mistaken for passion. Just because someone says something loudly and has a target for their ire doesn’t mean that what they have to say is meaningful or well thought-out. On the other hand, you can say something extremely intelligent and well thought-out, but if sad loudly and in anger you may not reach the people who need to hear you most.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t feel anger or that feeling anger is bad. Anger is a very real emotion and should be acknowledged. We can’t help when we feel it and sometimes we let it control our actions and our words, but I think it’s important that when we do get angry that we can identify what we’re angry with, why we’re angry with it, and what we plan to do about it. That last bit being the most important and also maybe the hardest to determine.
Thoughts?
nANIMOv 