Anger can be approached in various ways. Some people revel in what they call “righteous anger.” Even in myths and religions, some gods succumb to this emotion.
Anger as a Source of Primal Strength
Anger, alongside fear, is one of the fundamental “animal emotions,” a product of the ego primarily designed to protect us. It manifests in the well-known “fight or flight” response.
I know fighters who deliberately get hit at the start of a fight—or even hit themselves—to “ignite” their anger. They harness anger and its resulting power. In anger, our Inner Fire intensifies, adrenaline surges, pain fades, and muscles pump up. A modern archetype of anger is the comic book character Hulk.
Some people can escalate anger just by themself—they get angry over trivial matters and feed this anger with their attention until it truly flares up. Probably, we can be addicted to anger, similarly as we are addicted to drugs.
Transformation of Hulk under anger’s influence:
Anger Harms Others
Anger can literally cloud our judgment. The term “red mist” captures this fogging effect. Rational awareness loses control, and emotion takes over our actions.
In anger, we commit terrible acts we would never do in full consciousness. How many murders, injuries, and violent acts were driven by anger? How many people wish to undo their actions or retract words spoken in rage? But time cannot be reversed. Anger causes immense pain and trauma.
When observing the expression of an angry person or looking deeply into their eyes, one might see a devil. In anger, we lose control over ourselves, and our dark side takes over.
Anger Harms the Angry
Anger often punishes the person feeling it, not the target of their ire. For example, if I get angry at another driver while driving, they remain unaffected, but my anger harms me and potentially my innocent passengers.
In anger, the Inner Fire flares up but simultaneously contracts, compresses, and builds pressure. This pressure harms us. People can literally “burst with anger,” suffering heart attacks. The pressure from anger can cause blood vessels in the brain to rupture, leading to strokes. Anger negatively impacts digestion, sexual function, and practically the entire body. Many even injure themselves in anger (how many of us hurt our hands by punching something with rage?).
Suppressing Anger
A common reaction to cope with anger is suppressing it, hiding it behind a false smile. This suppression also harms us. The repressed energy accumulates, causing stress, illness, or even worse. It may erupt as uncontrollable rage, appearing as an exaggerated reaction— “last straw.”
Channeling Anger
Today, many agree that anger shouldn’t be suppressed, a view I support. Anger needs an outlet, and its release can take forms like punching a bag, breaking a vase, shouting, or an intense workout.
Where Attention Flows, Energy goes.
Another approach to anger is described in a fable about a shaman who explains to a young boy that everyone has two wolves in their hearts—one dark and one light.
The dark wolf incites fear, envy, anger, greed, and separation, leading to conflict.
The light wolf brings love, empathy, compassion, acceptance, and unity.
The boy asks how to defeat the dark wolf. The shaman explains that any fight strengthens the dark wolf; it cannot be defeated by fighting. “Where your attention flows, your energy goes. Feed the light wolf with your attention. The dark one will never completely disappear but grow small and weak without your attention. Then the light will lead your steps.”
Thus, giving anger a controlled outlet protects our loved ones from it and shields us from the harm of suppression. Yet, it also strengthens the dark wolf within us.
More conscious beings aware of their emotions can decide where their attention flows and what emotion they respond to. Regardless of the situation, I’m convinced I can choose a better—more constructive—emotion than anger.
Conscious Resolution
I’m not perfect, and though I get angry less often, it still happens occasionally. But I’m becoming increasingly quicker at recognising my anger.
As soon as I become aware of anger, I neither suppress nor vent it. I focus my awareness on it and start exploring its root causes.
Often, I realise I wasn’t accepting the world as it is; I had closed off or given someone else power over me. By understanding the cause, anger dissolves in the Light of Awareness and disappears.
The Roots of Anger
When we deeply feel the roots of anger, we often find it stems from fear or helplessness.
Anger frequently arises from rejecting reality as it is. If I accept hurt, injustice, or powerlessness, anger doesn’t arise.
Acceptance, however, is not agreement—it is the first step toward conscious action.
A conscious person does not let emotions control them. They are aware of emotions but stand above them, with their awareness stronger than emotions.
A Personal Example
I was in a park with my son and his mother. My son grabbed a handful of fine gravel and threw it at his mother’s face. I explained that his action was hurtful and that every action has a reaction. If he hurts others, they may hurt him back. Despite this, he bent down to grab another handful.
I warned him that if he threw gravel again, I would pull down his pants and spank him. He threw it. So, I followed through and spanked him on his bare bottom.
It may not have seemed so, but I wasn’t angry with him. I’m not an advocate of physical punishment, but this wasn’t a punishment—it was a life lesson delivered with love in my Heart. Hopefully, he realised that causing pain is unpleasant and that violence can easily turn against him.
Anger as a Tool of Control
Anger and fear are the most popular methods of control and manipulation. These emotions shut down rational thinking, turning people into puppets of their manipulators. That’s why we often see attempts to evoke and amplify these emotions.
To be free, one must become conscious of these emotions and identify who and why someone is trying to provoke them.
Anger is similar to fear or worry:
Anger or a Calm Mind
People often mistakenly believe that anger gives them strength. In reality, anger creates unnecessary tension, consuming energy, weakening, and slowing us down. A relaxed person moves more efficiently and quickly.
Anger also clouds the mind. An angry person makes more mistakes and reacts more slowly.
Anger constricts us, creating internal pressure. When open, we move faster and connect to the Universe or God (whatever name you prefer). We also connect to the attackers, making it easier to sense their intent.
According to Cossacks and others Slavic combat traditions, we should not let the Inner Fire flow into our head. The head must remain cool. If the Inner Fire grows dangerously and threatens to cloud the mind, open the Heart and let it flow out as love. But this doesn’t mean allowing harm. Defend yourself if necessary—but strike only as much as necessary.
We can even breathe through emerging anger.
I’m convinced that one of humanity’s tasks is to free ourselves from animal emotions and transform them into moral—angelic ones. We must stop being ruled by emotions and start acting consciously.
A conscious person does not give their power to another to manipulate them with negative emotions.
Can you imagine a spiritual figure like Buddha, Socrates, or Laozi becoming angry?
Closing story
A mother became upset with her young son. He looked at her sadly and asked:
“Mother, how can you treat yourself like this?”
