Fear and anger

[Jeanne]

Anger is energy that wants to change something.

Fear is the raising of your hair on the back of your neck, telling you danger is near...

Yet, both these powerful emotions have been given a bad rap. How often do you hear about either in a positive context? Why is that?

Could it be because we have limited knowledge and command of our energy potentiality? And that we could instead view fear and anger as potential energy - a resource, rather than something to be overcome.

[AkashicWreckage]

Interesting topic, thanks for starting it!

You said:
"Yet, both these powerful emotions have been given a bad rap. How often do you hear about either in a positive context? Why is that?

Could it be because we have limited knowledge and command of our energy potentiality? And that we could instead view fear and anger as potential energy - a resource, rather than something to be overcome."
*****
I'm going to try to figure out how to word my thoughts as I type, so hopefully this won't come out as nonsense. (It's been a long day.)
I think that fear is mis-managed energy, as is anger. I wonder also at times, if this has been learned? I recall first realizing that the world was a scary place, where acts could be violent and I truly recall the realization of fear. It was a story, I think it was way back in the 60's. It was about a woman named Kitty Genovese. She was stabbed to death and her neighbors heard her cries, supposedly knew that she was being attacked, and they did nothing. It was shocking.

I thought at that time, how could it be that no one would come to her aid, to respond to her cries? I was fairly young at that time, and it left a lasting impression on me.

I'm sure there are countless grown-up children now, who may recall similarly, the realization of fear. Then, what do we do with it?
You said it well: "Could it be because we have limited knowledge and command of our energy potentiality?"
I've long thought that fear, especially, can be managed. And with acquired knowledge and experiences in understanding our bodies and our senses, I believe that we can utilize the energy resources. It's too bad most of us learn this more often when we are adults---the opportunities are ripe when people are younger, I believe. I also feel that learning how to manage these energies and turn it into a resource, could potentially lessen experiences one has with dis-ease.

There are so many aspects of us, our physical bodies, that can assist us with this. People do feel things---like in their gut or solar plexus. The brain, from what I recall, translates whatever it is receiving through our senses and is responsible for commanding that reaction. It still feels like energy to me, our bodies are receiving the energy information and then there is the response.

How we learn to recognize and then corral that energy information, may be one of the most interesting paths to our own safe havens. :)

[Linda]

I never understood how so many people have sympathy for people when they are sad/crying, but people lack sympathy for someone who is angry (even if the anger is justified and not destructive)

[Linda]

Terry said:

If I may, I will reserve detailed comment on this subject for a later date. In the meantime, I would like to respond to your statement: “Anger is energy that wants to change something”. While that may be true, I ask you if you think it is possible to have anger without generating ill-will toward to object of anger? And if there is ill-will, isn’t there more often than not a potentially dangerous condition of volatility? Perhaps these are the reasons Anger has been given a “bad rap”.

A lot of times, anger is misdirected. People get angry at others, so this ill will is directed at people. The trick is to get angry at behaviors, unfairness, injustice, that sort of thing. It's easier to calm down and start thinking with a clear head when fuming at a problem than at a person. If you have ill will toward a problem, you "attack" with a solution.

[Jeanne]

"I never understood how so many people have sympathy for people when they are sad/crying, but people lack sympathy for someone who is angry."

You make an interesting point, Linda. Perhaps because people's immediate knee jerk response to anger is fear... a knowing that people are empowered by their anger and there may be reason to duck. So any sympathy will come later, after safety has been established. ...but you are so right; many angry people also need our sympathetic understanding.

".anger is misdirected. People get angry at others, so this ill will is directed at people. The trick is to get angry at behaviors, unfairness, injustice, that sort of thing. It's easier to calm down and start thinking with a clear head when fuming at a problem than at a person. If you have ill will toward a problem, you "attack" with a solution."


Thank you for that astute answer. You're responses make me happy that I started this thread and joined AOAND. When I read Terry's response, I thought of my relationship with my son, who no matter how much we may disagree, I have never had ill will toward him. Once he accidentally slammed my hand in a car door and I spontaneously called him a bad name, but we both forgave me.

People do bring their "stuff" to every situation and if they have alot of stuff and haven't worked it out, it will surface and often be directed toward those who had nothing to do with their pent up anger... such as in emotionally intense romantic relationships.

My reason for starting this thread was to eventually bring the discussion to a point of seeing all aspects of our spiritual, emotional, and physical being as potential energy... and how we learn to direct those energies masterfully... on a quantum level. But your point about fuming at a problem rather than at a person is more pragmatic and probably more accessible to more people... and a good conflict resolution skill. Thanx again, Linda.

[drmike]

To me fear and anger come from the same place. Some have said FEAR is "False Evidence Appearing Real," that may be so in some instances--but mostly it is a visceral reaction to being unable to deal or cope with a particular circumstance. And how do we deal with that? For me, it is usually anger--a reaction so that I can CONTROL that from which I am afraid of. To deal with fear and anger I have to address the underlying cause--be it insecurity that pertains to my well being--where it be in finance or romance, pride/ego, etc.

Fear alerts me that something is wrong. Anger is to me, now, an immature way for me to deal with that unacceptable realtiy. Although in the past it has gotten me the attention I thought was deserved at the time. Today I take affirmative actions to get educated about what is wrong, and address the issue head on without having to go into anger or worse-- rage.


Thanks,
Mike

[LightEye]

Hi Jeanne.

Thanks for your comments to my postings ;-)

And make sure you all check out my blog for hours of peaceful Re-memberings;

http://theremembering.blogspot.com/

Regardless of whatever anyone ever says, and they who believe otherwise can believe what they will, there is only One Energy, One Feeling, One Emotion call it what you will...

It is Love.

Love is All there Is, Was and Will ever be...

I'll give you a couple of examples.

You have a young child and of course you Love it dearly. You try through the years to "teach" it what's "right & wrong" and one day to your amazement it runs out into the street after a ball...

Now you've told your child forget the ball, let it be, but it does it anyway...

Of course, you become upset (angry, afraid ect...) when you see your child run across the street and even though he/she isn't hurt you become upset and are hyper.

Why?

Because you Love your child.

Most have heard that analogy.

You work in a factory and you've done so for some years. Everything is Ok until one day the factory has to close. You look back and you're angry. "Why is this happening too me?" Your world is upside down. You're angry and why?

Because you were happy (Happy is a synonym for Love) with the way things were.

Fear & anger are rooted in Love. They are very simply a result of something that in most cases is suddenly taken away from you that you have cherished a very long/short time. Fear and anger though can also be a result of something "new" to you in which you are unsure of. Everyone is somewhat unsure of that which is new because it has to do with sensory overload.

There's nothing "wrong" with "fear & anger" as long as we don't let it take the overhand. If it does it creates all these other emotions that aren't productive with our growth.

As always - Believe what you will...

Be Love.

The 12 Universal Laws

[Linda Lawson]

Beautiful reframe on anger and fear. Jeanne. Thank u.

I have learned that anger covers saddness for lost opportunities.And that any feeling resonating below unconditional love is fear. .How many times have we heard ...we either choose a reaction of fear or a respone of love?

[Jeanne]

drmike said: "Anger is to me, now, an immature way for me to deal with that unacceptable realtiy. Although in the past it has gotten me the attention I thought was deserved at the time. Today I take affirmative actions to get educated about what is wrong, and address the issue head on without having to go into anger or worse-- rage."

Dr. Mike, I appreciate your insightful comment, however am wondering if the above portion of your statement, is so much a commentary on anger itself or on the expression of anger.
The choice of how to express/direct the anger energy toward others, whether as an externalized forceful action or as an internalized drive toward change, is ever present. How do we use power - over, for or with others is the choice to be made. Anger seems to be merely the energy that propels the power. Metta, Jeanne

[Nige.]

Hello Jeanne.

Such that which is the colective judgments of anger and fear as it is experanced hear by others..

When one becomes aware of how anger is just the top of the iceing of the cake that is covering up underneeth more in depth hidern issues to be acknolaged and healed with in ones self,thus one can see or experance anger that is not porjected, has a positve tool in helping to heal ones self.

That which is fear,coursers one to contract when it is felt or experanced in the moment can be transformed throught self awareness of choice in the moment that to be only opern and revice that which is unconditanil love and above by rasing fear's vibration can be used in a positve context to heal ones being.

So ,yes a resource that which can be used,fear and anger as felt or expernced with in ones self can be transmuted and transformed as energy in to higher vibrations of unconditanil love and joy ,if one but chooser's in the moment and why would you not???

[drmike]

Jeanne,

To answer most directly: In my experience the anger emotion is not something that I may necessarily have to power to chose how to direct. It is a basic emotion over which I can get control, by understanding from which it comes, and by asking my Higher Power to reveal the significance for me.

I'm not keen on the term "power" in this context. Also the inference that it is something directed outward, maybe fallacy. Suicide, for example, is anger "energy" directed towards the self. Lack of restraint in controlling anger can lead to violent crimes like rape or homicide; or global decisions like war.


In some ways I am fascinated by the dialouge, but in others I'm caught wondering if people really just want to be "deep" , philosophical, and verbose about what I think are just basic facts. Discussed are fear and anger are two emotions. Let's review definitions:

e·mo·tion (ĭ-mō'shən) Pronunciation Key
n.
A mental state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is often accompanied by physiological changes; a feeling: the emotions of joy, sorrow, reverence, hate, and love.
A state of mental agitation or disturbance: spoke unsteadily in a voice that betrayed his emotion. See Synonyms at feeling.


fear   /fɪər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [feer] Show IPA
–noun 1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights.
3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, esp. toward God.
5. that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid: Cancer is a common fear.


an⋅ger   /ˈæŋgər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ang-ger] Show IPA
–noun 1. a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.
2. Chiefly British Dialect. pain or smart, as of a sore.
3. Obsolete. grief; trouble.


From www.dictionary.com
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.


You can see from these definitions the following are found:

a) emotions are spontaneous, not conceived--the latter is intellect.
b)these feelings have a physiologic response.
c) they may be real or imagined
d) feelings can prompt responses (cognitions and then behaviors)


Today I ask God to control my thoughts, feelings, and actions to be compatible for His will for me. In that regard I become balanced, and live freely. Anger does have a place, but it should be tempered in magnitude and frequency because lack of control over it leads to much misunderstanding and resentment. The latter can have devastating consequences for the individual and/or society.


Namaste,
Mike

[LightEye]

Hey all.

Dr. Mike wrote this;

"Today I ask God to control my thoughts, feelings, and actions to be compatible for His will for me."

Can some one, any one, It doesn't matter who it is...

Prove that God is a He?

Don't use scripture as scripture is the "word" written" by man...

Find something else...

Anything...

[Lance Michael Foster]

Fear (flight) and anger (fight) are two sides of the same biochemical coin that is lodged in our reptilian core. They had, and have, survival value. We are the same physical beings we were 4.5 million years ago in essence. You cannot be rid of them, and you should not, but you can channel them more appropriately for this day and age.