We all have been angry at some time or another. Like of our other emotions: love, sadness, happiness, desire, pride and fear; we can experience anger at different levels of intensity, depending on the experience that triggered the emotion.

As children our emotions can overwhelm us because we have not figured out what to do with them or how to manage them. As we age from childhood to adulthood, we are expected to learn how to manage our emotions, including anger. Managing our anger is essential when living in societal groups because allowing anger to become out of control can infringe on the rights of others.

Uncontrolled anger can cause harm to others or to property. The harm we cause others can cost us not only in monetary terms but also in emotional terms or even in loss of our freedoms. It is wise for all of us to learn how to manage our emotions, especially anger.

Statistics:

According to the Sunday Times of London, anger is widespread amongst Americans:

45% of Americans lose their temper in the workplace on a regular basis

80% of American drivers have been involved in an act of road rage (witness or actual participant)

1 in 5 adults has an anger management problem

According to the 2002 WHO report, in the age group 15 to 44, violence triggered by anger causes about 14% of all deaths among males and 7% of deaths among women.

These alarming statistics can be attributed to individuals who cannot effectively manage their anger. This uncontrolled anger causes people to lash out and perpetrate acts of violence that cause pain and destruction to others and to themselves. This lack of control results in the statistics we see above: road rage, violence in the workplace and even murder.

The emotion of anger is not an entirely bad thing. Sometimes we can reap benefits from encounters with this emotion. An example would be when you find out that someone has been taking advantage of you. The anger that rises in you can spur you on to take healthy actions that protect you from future abuse by this person.

Anger is an emotional-physiological-cognitive internal state; it is separate from the behavior it might prompt. In some instances, angry emotions are beneficial; if we are being taken advantage of, anger motivates us to take action (not necessarily aggressive) to correct the situation. Aggression results from righteous anger, and is a healthy defense mechanism.

Anger is not behavior; it is an emotion that we feel in response to a stimulus (event or person). Anger may prompt someone to take action to correct a situation and that action can be constructive or destructive.