A Short on "Anger"
I’m sharing this YouTube “short” because it carries a nugget of truth.
In The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions, co-authors Jaak Panksepp and Lucy Biven describe the RAGE circuit as an “energized feeling.” Energized, indeed!
Photo by Sander Sammy on Unsplash
The nugget (and the photo above) showcase what I consider the “misuse” of anger.
Anger has its positives. Anger activates energy. It focuses attention. It signals the need for some sort of change. The RAGE circuit has a purpose in survival. Anger is a natural emotional reaction governed by the sympathetic nervous system, a subsystem of the autonomic nervous system.
The question isn’t whether anger is right or wrong. The question is what you do when you find yourself angry.
To me, the nugget of this short is the paradoxical consequence of holding onto anger. Holding it is corrosive - to your heart, your health, your creativity, your well-being. Redirecting the “energized feeling” towards positive change allows the energy to flow.
The trick is to become aware of times when you find yourself angry so that you can use the executive functions of your consciousness to reactivate your parasympathetic system.
Why? In the words of Stephen W. Porges in his book, The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, “The physiological states that support defense are incompatible with those that support creativity and expansive [thinking].” In other words, to come up with plans to remediate an unwanted situation, start by activating the parasympathetic system.
A hint: Deep belly breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This happens automatically. Some of the vagus nerve endings that trigger the parasympathetic system reside in the lower diaphram.
By the way, the parasympathetic nervous system is also known as the system that promotes health, growth and restoration.
We are actually wired for well-being. Wonderfully made, aren’t we?