Self-test
1. “Anger is a response to a threat” is true?
I agree. I feel angry when I am at risk of losing something or have actually lost something. These can be physical things like possessions and money or intangibles like my self-worth and sense of security.
I may become angry, for example, when a bully picks on my child on the way home from school. Why am I angry? I am upset because someone I love is being hurt. The bully is a threat to me because of the value I place in my child. If I did not care about my child, I would not be angry.
Understanding the source and nature of the threat is important for anger management.