Anger is often thought of as a negative emotion, something to be avoided or repressed. But what if we told you that anger could actually be a useful and even necessary emotion in certain situations? In this article, we’ll explore seven reasons why anger is a useful emotion, so you can learn how to harness its power for positive outcomes in your own life.
#1 Anger Helps Us To Survive and Thrive
It starts with evolution; without anger, the human species wouldn’t have survived. Anger, or our fight response, helped protect us against predators. Our instincts will detect threats and tell us to be angry.
When we feel angry, there’s usually a reason. Your boss asks you to do more work than your slacking coworker? You’re justified in getting angry. Without anger, we wouldn’t stand up for ourselves.
#2 Anger Is a Good Motivator
Before you stop to think about every revenge story ending poorly, we’re not advocating for that. We want you to use your anger to propel yourself forward.
In fact, research has shown that anger stimulates your brain’s left anterior cortex, which is actually associated with positive behaviors. Thus, anger gives you energy, and you can direct it toward fixing the things that make you angry.
#3 Anger Helps Create Boundaries
Many children are told to hold their feelings inside. As you get older, this turns into knots in your stomach, and instead of expressing why you’re annoyed, you’ll lash out at the slightest annoyance.
Listen to your gut early, and consider why things get on your nerves. Did your parents mention getting a better job after a busy and rough day at work? Did your significant other ask you to get groceries even though they could have done it themselves? Expressing these feelings will help others understand why things are bothering you and allow them to be better communicators.
Also read: 6 Tips For Dealing With Manipulators That Actually Work
#4 Anger Can Strengthen Relationships
If you get to the bottom of why something your spouse said or did annoys you, it makes sense that anger can help relationships become stronger.
A couple who doesn’t express their disagreements, needs, and boundaries will never work together to strengthen their relationship.
Inaction is not healthy for a relationship. If justifiable anger is communicated well to your partner, conflict can be resolved through compromise. Conflict and disagreements help you learn more about the needs and boundaries of your partner.
#5 Anger Can Help You Improve Yourself
Underlying anger often means that deeper issues should be addressed. Getting to the bottom of the source of our anger, looking at ourselves through a curious and constructive lens, could lead to better self-esteem and stronger character development.
For many, anger is a sign that something is wrong. Try to take a look at the source of your anger. Ask yourself questions like, “why does this situation bother me?” or, “why am I so hard on myself?” Though these questions may be challenging, ultimately, the outcome will be positive, and it can provide powerful insight into yourself as a human being.
#6 Anger Makes Us Aware of Injustice
When is it that we feel most angry? For some of us, it is when we are denied rights, exploited, treated with disrespect, or insulted. Anger is your mind telling you something isn’t right about a particular situation, and it helps you communicate that feeling to those mistreating you.
From peaceful protests, strikes, and revolutions, anger has brought about positive societal changes. Not only do they bring about these changes, but they also make others aware that there will be a cost for injustice.
#7 Anger Gives You Control
If you think about the negatives of anger, you may feel like the emotion of anger makes you unpredictable and volatile. But someone who can use their anger constructively, who can express their anger healthily, have a sense of control over their emotions have been known to change the things they are angry about.
Studies have found that anger is more associated with optimism and that angry people are more similar to happy people when assessing risk outcomes. When we’re mad, we’re more optimistic about changing our situation. This gives us control over our life.
Conclusion
Anger can be positive, as long as you use it productively and positively, but it can also be a source of negativity if left unchecked. Like almost everything in life, using this emotion for good takes practice and reflection, but the benefits of anger are there for you to use.
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