Ashoorina Youkhana

AP Language & Comp.

March 19, 2014
Anger is a response that is generated upon an unair e!perience or
in"ustice perpetrated #$ peop%e around us. As our emotions ri%e up to a #reaking
point, the producti&it$ that 'as once engra&ed in our attri#utes ha&e me%ted do'n
to destruction. A signiicant amount o authors ha&e added their o'n perceptions
o anger, ranging rom po%itica% and socia% issues, to their o'n opinionated
&ie'points. (hat separates anger rom production to destruction is the simp%e
reassurance that $ou)re getting heated or a temporar$ emotion that can
eecti&e%$ #e diminished through a positi&e mindset. *onethe%ess, anger can
create a %asting change, depending on ho' $ou choose to a#sor# it.
+egina ,arreca, in her essa$, -.he /ires (ithin-, initia%%$ states that 'e
are more concerned 'ith the emotions re&o%&ing our o'n anger and those 'e
%o&e, rather than those 'ho aren0t as important to us. .hat #eing "ustiied, i
societ$ aects peop%e persona%%$, the$ can create a permanent change.
1epending on the indi&idua% ho'e&er, and ho' the$ might dea% 'ith the #ui%t in
anger, the actions and emotions dea%t upon it can either #e producti&e or
destructi&e.
(hat rea%%$ dri&es peop%e to #ecome destructi&e, in terms o anger, is
there heated desire to cast re&enge. As trans%ated in Aristot%e0s essa$, -/rom
+hetoric-, he states that 'e are main%$ angered i 'e happen to #e e!pecting a
0contrar$ resu%t0, as 'e%% as 'hen our 'ishes ai% to #ecome granted. 2etting a
#ad grade on a home'ork assigment that $ou thought might0&e #een 'orth a %ot
more points is "ust a sma%% e!amp%e o dissapointing anger. .hro'ing a tantrum
and threatening to p%ageri3e in a teacher0s c%ass is 'hat can o&erturn that
temporar$ rustration. *e&erthe%ess, 'e tend to cra&e re&enge 'hen our
e!pectations are #eing put to the test, and are some'hat %ike%$ to ai%.
4n the other hand, producti&it$ can #e merged i anger is dea%t 'ith in a
ci&i% manner. ,eing more curteous and mindu% o a teacher0s eed#ack can
change $our mindset to a more positi&e understanding. +egina ,arreca a%so
notes that anger can make us ee% ashamed o ourse%&es. Learning ho' to hide
anger does not necessari%$ mean it0s concea%ed or good, and "ust #ecause $our
#oi%ed emotions aren0t &isi#%e, doesn0t mean the$ don0t aect $ou.
4&era%%, anger can consume $ou to #ecome a %i&ing em#arrassment. 5t is
not 'orth ha&ing $our am#ition and mora%s #eing percei&ed as a pitied indi&idua%
'ho can0t stand #ut to ho%d a grudge. Producti&it$ can sti%% #e present 'hi%e anger
is in eect, depending on i $ou0re 'i%%ing to compensate that emotion and turn it
into %ie %esson. 4n the other hand, #ui%t in anger can change to #ecome
destructi&e6 1istancing $ourse% rom the ones $ou %o&e, %osing interest in the
things $ou ha&e a passion or, and as a 'ho%e, change $ou to %i&e a sick,
unhapp$ %ie.