FWJ Winter 2023: Exploring Anger
After months (and three issues of FWJ) investigating gentler ways of being in the world, we’ve concluded that the biggest elephant in the room now is Anger.
Lately, everyone seems to be mad about something. In the past, expressions of anger were largely internal, passive, or even suppressed, but now they’re in your face. The major question we’re asking is what’s causing all this ferocity? We’re not talking politics per se, though political beliefs and resulting behaviors continue to fuel not just anger but rage. The lack of affordable housing, inflation, homelessness, pandemics, and global unrest are all major contributors—not to mention the daily mini-frustrations that can build into a volcanic explosion.
I tell my counseling clients that anger masks fear, and we fear what we don’t understand or feel we can’t control. In itself, anger is simply red energy, a volatile force that can be used for good or evil. Righteous anger, focused clearly on a good cause, has fueled many great social movements in America and around the world. But most people simply “lose it,” seldom understanding the reason for their anger. The danger here is that like any untreated wound, unexplored anger cannot heal. Instead, it causes systemic infection, eventually destroying the entire body.
FWJ Winter 2023 explores anger—its causes, effects, and trajectory—largely through personal anecdotes and artwork. We hope you will enjoy this issue and share your thoughts and personal experiences in Letters to the Editor on our website.
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