Why So Angry?

It seems like everyone is angry these days. Some are angry at immigrants for coming into the country, while others are angry at those who stop immigrants from entering the country. We are upset with the police, frustrated with protestors, and furious at politicians. We are angry with doctors who take care of us, teachers who educate our children, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, neighbors, and most anyone else. We march, shake our fists, go to court, and in the extreme, get violent. Anger spills from screens into our homes, spreading anxiety and fueling more anger in its wake.

Why are we so angry? Why do we demonize everyone else? What’s happened to empathy and kindness?

Anger isn’t a stand-alone emotion but, instead, reflects helplessness and fear. If we feel confident and secure, we don’t need to be angry. Whatever happens, we can deal with it. Whatever others say or do, we let go and take in stride. Feeling strong, we have empathy for others and reach our hands out to help them. Perhaps our pervasive anger is a symptom of our stress and helplessness, and the fear that things can only get worse than they are right now.

We’ve had financial stress and economic uncertainty. Whole industries have disappeared or shifted elsewhere, as globalization and market forces changed the landscape. When we are afraid for our jobs, we view other nations as competitors and immigrants as threats. The pandemic has also made us wary of each other, not sure who to trust or what information to follow. We are literally scared for our lives, and the information out there is bewildering. No wonder we’re angry. Climate change seems beyond our ability to manage, and the threat of nuclear war grows daily, highlighting our loss of control. We want a better world, but can’t imagine how to get there, with only our anger to turn to.

Social media hasn’t helped! Too many of us are locked into echo chambers, communicating only with people who share our beliefs and amplify our fears. Rampant and intentional misinformation by politicians, influencers, and others only makes us even more fearful, frustrated, and hateful. We long for the mythical happy days of old, and gravitate toward authoritarian leaders who exploit our fear and anger to gain power and control. They divide us, sow more fear, generate greater helplessness, and stoke our anger.

There is another choice! We can regain our optimism, embrace hope and opportunity, and look to the future with excitement rather than fear. As a species, we didn’t take over the planet by being fearful and angry, but instead by being curious, resourceful, and inventive. We collaborated with each other to overcome challenges, experimented and explored, and pursued impossible dreams, turning them into reality. Instead of clinging fearfully to what we’ve got, angry that “they” might take it away from us, we can regain our confidence, smile in the face of adversity, and work together to reclaim the bounty of our world. ?