Considering the matter of anger, we could certainly conclude that anger is a secondary emotion; it is the result of another feeling. Anger is at the surface, but the emotion that triggers it is the root of the problem.
That is the answer to your why.
It is precisely this which makes the difference between legitimate anger (non-personal) and illegitimate anger (personal). The question that we should ask ourselves is the following: “why am I angry?” Is it because of my preferences or is it because of the Spirit's purposes? There is a vast difference between the two.
When you get angry because your desires are not met, the reason behind your why is your preferences. It's personal. There is something that you want, but that you are not getting. This can be: respect, love, the fastest lane in the highway, a parking space, the best table at a restaurant, and so on. Your selfishness is being confronted, and you want to “fight back.” You feel that you “deserve” something that you are not getting. We get frustrated because of unmet expectations.
The second reason behind your why is utterly different. You get angry because the Spirit’s purposes are challenged. It seems to be something the great Spirit manifested out of nowhere. Something we don't understand takes place, and that makes us angry. Some people call this ‘Spirit anger,’ or ‘civilization anger,' or just 'anger at society' or 'anger at the situation or world.'
Spirit anger can be related to when one confronts racism or sexism. Or, there was a mass lay-off at your company and you were a part of it, although you do a great job. It’s an anger that you can’t take personally and you don't understand, yet it angers you. It’s a big picture anger. Why was there slavery? Why are companies allowed to advertise (obviously) un-healthy products such as cigarettes and soda? Why did the little girl next door develop cancer? Perhaps we can label these, ‘legitimate anger expressions,’ and the reason behind them.
The question we should all ask when anger arises is, why am I angry? The answer will allow us to realize its legitimacy. Then, once this has happened, both forms of anger can be eliminated by the recapitulation and one day, all forms of anger are just controlled folly.
Thought of the Day - When I get angry, I need to ask myself, “Why am I angry? Is it because of my preferences or societies purposes being challenged?”
Warrior of Lite
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