What is Anger? Why do we have it? Is it a survival instinct or some left over remnant of our ape days? If we’re religious, is it what we gained from the tree of life, after biting that fated apple? We all have anger and some anger fits, some internalize their anger, others explode outwardly. But we all have it. Why do some control their anger better than some others? I myself suffer from repressed anger, I grew up in an abusive household, but as the only male, I chose to keep my anger inside instead of lashing out at my mother, with wasn’t as strong as I was and who herself was filled with anger, and I vowed not to be like her and lash out and hurt the ones I loved so frequently and unthinkingly. I did find that I did have explosive anger tendencies though. As a quiet individual I was picked on a lot in school, till one day I said no more and I let out my rage and was no longer picked on at school.

My Favorite comic book character of all time has always been “The Incredible Hulk”, Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, because I could relate so well with him, a quiet intelligent man with a raging monster inside… yikes! Much like the main character’s alter ego, Bruce Banner, I sometimes like letting it out and can use it. My daughter’s call that side of me “Sean”, which is my middle name, as a sort of a joke. I wonder though… why are some repressive and others not so much. I am in no sense overly aggressive, though I can be at times, I know many that are, they fully outwardly express their anger. On the flip side of the coin, I know just as many people who don’t want to, or even can express their anger at all.

My own daughter fears expression of anger because of what she’s seen with her own mother and grandfather, creating a very repressed young woman, with great potential but fearful and repressed thanks to them. She is getting better with love, time and therapy though. Thank God.

But it got me thinking, why is there so much difference between how we handle anger? Do anger management classes really work, and wouldn’t we all benefit from taking them? Maybe if we all understood our anger better, there would be less conflict and hurt feelings. I am known for being blunt with my words because I don’t like keeping things inside or lying, does that make me a monster though? Or is it just tact I lack? I hurt my more sensitive friends and family with my words… Would that be considered explosive? My philosophy is simple, never keep it in, is that wrong? Why should I or anyone else hold in what we feel, and if we do doesn’t it hurt us instead? So I’ve started to read this book, “Anger Management for Everyone: Seven Proven Ways to Control Anger and Live a Happier Life by Raymond Chip Tafrate”, lol. I’ll keep you all informed of the results and progress, maybe I can help someone else who’s feeling this as well.