“Anger is how we seek to create an illusion of control where we feel none.” Martha Nussbaum

I have been looking after anger and anger this week. Here is what I found and liked.

On what is happening in our body when we get angry. This is where we should know the basics of the race happening between cortex and amygdala. The interesting part of this article relates also to the time requested during the anger pic and our return to a calm state. This is where we are still vulnerable to anger again. Well, read that  and understand your body : https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/physiology-of-anger/

On how to get angry a lot. That video is a list of common tricks to put ourselves into great anger. Garanteed result. Funny and so true…

[human] How to Get Angry a Lot https://t.co/TPKd6DnZH1 via @alaindebotton

— virginie galindo (@poulpita) 6 novembre 2016

On the reasons why we get angry. “Anger begins with the many imperfections of existence“. In this section of the “Book of Life”, one can understand where anger starts and why it should get all our attention, and support. As you may get, expressing anger is expressing suffering. And the best thing to do, may be to try to understand (and relax a bit, too).  http://www.thebookoflife.org/why-you-get-so-angry-even-though-you-are-nice/

On the bridge between anger and creativity. This is a set of wise views on anger. One I like is “The internal living flame of anger always illuminates what we belong to, what we wish to protect and what we are willing to hazard ourselves for.” David Whyte. Some other interesting philosophical thoughts can be read here https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/11/04/may-sarton-anger/

On anger, forgiveness, and lovers. I can not refrein myself to reference another post from Brain Picking, about Martha Nussbaum views, which deals with anger in the specific context of lovers, where trust and links give a special sense and violence to anger. One can also find in this post, that anger and self respect, which have been linked for a lot of philosopher is challenged. Please have a read here :   https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/05/03/martha-nussbaum-anger-and-forgiveness/

Hope it helps !

Note : Picture “les pieds au mur” (foot on the wall) by Robert Doisneau

Note : other more general Middle Life Crisis ressources are available here