The Surprising Ways to Use Anger as an Asset

He was only 6 foot 1, but his physical presence filled every room. When his face turned to rage, it was pure and unmistakable. And when it was directed at you, you simply couldn’t look away. Catching his glare was like staring into the headlights of a Mack truck coming straight at you. Such was the experience of being an actor alongside the late, great James Gandolfini on the set of The Sopranos.

Gandolfini played mob boss Tony Soprano, delivering a legendary performance that earned him three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe. Through his portrayal, Gandolfini guided audiences into Tony’s world of crime, family struggles, and deep moral conflict, making the character dark, flawed, and undeniably compelling.

One of Tony’s defining characteristics was his anger, and Gandolfini—a former bouncer—captured this with astonishing authenticity. When asked how he managed to portray such anger on screen, Gandolfini revealed that he didn’t merely act angry; he became angry. His method involved cultivating irritation throughout the day, sometimes by walking around with a small rock in his shoe. By the time the cameras rolled, he was primed to unleash it. “It’s silly, but it works,” he once said.

The result? Gandolfini delivered some of the most raw and unforgettable expressions of rage in television history. His anger felt real because it was real.

Gandolfini's approach may be unconventional, but it holds a deep wisdom for us all: anger, when harnessed correctly, can be a force for good.

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How to Harness Anger

Anger, when deliberately channeled, can be a powerful asset. This isn’t limited to acting—athletes, for example, often harness anger to fuel their performance.

Michael Jordan, widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, was a master at finding and channeling anger. Whether it came from an opponent’s trash talk, a dismissive remark from a journalist, or a perceived slight from a rival, Jordan turned these moments into motivation. A

s he famously put it, he would “take it personally.” Like Gandolfini’s rock in his shoe, Jordan used these slights as fuel to elevate his performance.

From acting to sports to creative pursuits, anger can serve as a potent source of energy and focus. But to be useful, it must be harnessed deliberately. Anger, like modern technology, is most effective when it is a tool at your disposal—not a force in control of you.

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The Role of Anger in Sports

Intentional anger is a powerful motivator. But, much like cultivating serendipity, it requires discipline and the right approach. In sports, this is most evident in roles where bursts of intensity are critical. Closing pitchers in baseball, for example, thrive on a carefully cultivated edge. Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen credits his improvement to learning how to channel anger from previous poor performances, remarking, “You have to be angry. Enough is enough.”

Some athletes even employ unique rituals to summon their rage. Tampa Bay pitcher Tyler Glasnow, for instance, keeps a photo of convicted “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli on his phone. He looks at it before stepping onto the field, using his disdain as fuel.

In combat sports like boxing or MMA, where anger arises naturally in the face of physical confrontation, the challenge lies in controlling it. Fighters must balance their emotional intensity with technical discipline. Mike Tyson, one of the greatest—and angriest—boxers of all time, excelled when he harnessed his emotions but faltered when they overtook him. As Tyson himself explained, “Emotion drives the best performance and is necessary, but it must be controlled.”

Perhaps no example better illustrates this balance than New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team. Their pre-match haka, a Maori war cry, is an awe-inspiring display of raw intensity and coordination. Equal parts rage and discipline, the haka exemplifies how anger can be transformed into a unifying and intimidating force.

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Final Thoughts on Harnessing Anger

Anger, like all emotions, is a double-edged sword. It can motivate extraordinary achievements but can also lead to impulsive decisions if left unchecked. Learning to recognize its sources and harness it effectively is a key element of human nature.

By studying how others have mastered this emotion—whether through Gandolfini’s slow burn, Jordan’s personal slights, or the All Blacks’ ritualistic displays—we can learn to make anger a powerful tool in our own lives.

Until then, we might take a simple lesson from Gandolfini: before you walk a mile in your own shoes, make sure to check them for small rocks.

Photo via Wikimedia Creative Commons

Thank you for taking the time to read my work. This article also appears on my human nature blog. For more articles, and to find out more about my work, research, and keynote speaking, you can check my website, Neuroscience Of.

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