THE AL'CHEMY OF EMOTIONS - WRATH

Anger is an emotional programme, a part of natural selection that helps us bargain for better treatment

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AARON SELL 

Is it important to understand anger? 

A good friend of mine was the victim of a very violent crime. I experienced anger at the time. But, in retrospect, I think, it was hatred, which are somewhat different emotions. So, that is what got me started on that particular topic.

The reason that anger should be well understood is because, I think, more than any other emotion, it is responsible for most of the interpersonal violence in the world, most of the cases of assault and homicide. If you look at how most homicides work, it typically involves unmarried men getting into a fight over something trivial. For example, there was a case in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where a man shot another because he had shovelled his snow and blocked his driveway. They got into an argument and one shot the other. I think from a societal point of view, that is important to understand.

There are more common cases. Anger can damage relationships. It can help your relationships, too. On the other hand, anger is important because if you have never experienced it, people can take advantage of you. There is a reason anger evolved. So, when you understand the grammar of anger, the variables, and how they work, it can better help you resolve conflicts because you can specify exactly what it is that you are angry about.

What triggers homicides or violence? Is it anger or aggression?

Anger is an emotional programme. It is a part of natural selection that helps us bargain for better treatment. Aggression is defined, usually, as behaviour, muscle movement, or something you do that imposes a cost on someone else. There are different definitions of aggression. In most cases, aggression, I think, comes from anger. But there are other causes of aggression as well. It can be fear, hatred and jealousy.