I read Jeff Lily's latest post over at Druid Journal (http://druidjournal.net/; the post concerned is at http://druidjournal.net/2007/10/07/positive-loving-kindness-using-opposites-to-banish-negativity/), and got to thinking about the opposite of anger.
I've found in my life that depression can be due to an anger that is turned inwards, but what is the opposite of anger? When I was around 8 or 10 I realised that I had a bad temper, and decided then that I would master my anger (bad temper), and use it constructively, rather than allowing it to use me. (Yes, young children CAN have such thoughts.) Over my life, I kept working at anger when I felt it - and I had the opportunity to observe the anger of other people, much of that being other people's anger that I was different in some way (e.g., anger over my being lesbian). There was always an underlying emotion behind the anger- and that helped me to realise that I do not now consider anger an emotion is it's own right.
Anger is one way an emotion is being expressed, whether that emotion is intolerance of other people being different, insecurity about oneself leading to feeling threatened or insecure and hence to angrily threatening others (I've been at physical risk because of such emotions in other people - which was one of my motivations to get involved in political lobbying, to protect people from such intolerance), or not wanting to change or broaden one's mind. It is an external expression of an emotion, as opposed to depression, which MAY be an internal expression of anger. (There may be physical causations of both depression and anger - e.g., hormonal imbalance.)
Anger is not necessarily destructive. There IS such a thing as righteous anger - one (probably poor) example is Christ and the money lenders; better examples would be a mother (or father) protecting their child from a serious threat (e.g., an attack by a bear) or someone acting to protect others through lobbying for better anti-discrimination laws.
Well, I hope that gives you something to think about - and maybe the edge to stand up to someone who is manifesting anger towards you or people close to you and say "being angry is a way you are expressing something else: what is that?"
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
I've added a photo to this post, after rushing initially and not doing so (and not doing a spell check, either). The only problem is, I'm not entirely sure where it was taken. It was in the late 90s, and I thinki it was at Hastings Marina, on Westernport Bay (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Port) in Victoria (from a boat, of course - looking back towards land). In any case, wherever I took it, I still like it :)
Tags: anger, emotions, energy work, interpersonal interactions, life lessons, personal characteristics, responsibility,
First published: Thursday 11th October, 2007
I've found in my life that depression can be due to an anger that is turned inwards, but what is the opposite of anger? When I was around 8 or 10 I realised that I had a bad temper, and decided then that I would master my anger (bad temper), and use it constructively, rather than allowing it to use me. (Yes, young children CAN have such thoughts.) Over my life, I kept working at anger when I felt it - and I had the opportunity to observe the anger of other people, much of that being other people's anger that I was different in some way (e.g., anger over my being lesbian). There was always an underlying emotion behind the anger- and that helped me to realise that I do not now consider anger an emotion is it's own right.
Anger is one way an emotion is being expressed, whether that emotion is intolerance of other people being different, insecurity about oneself leading to feeling threatened or insecure and hence to angrily threatening others (I've been at physical risk because of such emotions in other people - which was one of my motivations to get involved in political lobbying, to protect people from such intolerance), or not wanting to change or broaden one's mind. It is an external expression of an emotion, as opposed to depression, which MAY be an internal expression of anger. (There may be physical causations of both depression and anger - e.g., hormonal imbalance.)
Anger is not necessarily destructive. There IS such a thing as righteous anger - one (probably poor) example is Christ and the money lenders; better examples would be a mother (or father) protecting their child from a serious threat (e.g., an attack by a bear) or someone acting to protect others through lobbying for better anti-discrimination laws.
Well, I hope that gives you something to think about - and maybe the edge to stand up to someone who is manifesting anger towards you or people close to you and say "being angry is a way you are expressing something else: what is that?"
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
I've added a photo to this post, after rushing initially and not doing so (and not doing a spell check, either). The only problem is, I'm not entirely sure where it was taken. It was in the late 90s, and I thinki it was at Hastings Marina, on Westernport Bay (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Port) in Victoria (from a boat, of course - looking back towards land). In any case, wherever I took it, I still like it :)
Tags: anger, emotions, energy work, interpersonal interactions, life lessons, personal characteristics, responsibility,
First published: Thursday 11th October, 2007
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