On Anger

Anger is an emotion that frequently masks other deeper emotions. When we feel anger, we almost always have something else at the root: hurt, fear, even sadness.

Anger is also an emotion that we can frequently misplace. We may feel anger toward another person when we are truly most angry at ourselves. We may feel anger at a trivial situation when we truly are angry about something more significant in our lives. We may feel angry toward people in our present when we are truly angry toward people in our past.

Anger has a way of quickly flaring up and assigning itself a target. When you notice that you are angry, step away from the situation, put your hand on your chest, look down your arm, breathe deeply, and feel what emotion is underneath your hand. It is most likely the anger. Next, attempt to feel what lies underneath that. When you explore further, you may find the root of your emotions as well as other subjects for which you are having these emotions. For more details on this exercise, see In the Center of You.