THE ANGER ICEBERG

Anger is one of my favourite emotions to work with.

When we see anger in others, we often see it as rude, arrogant, & childish.

When we see anger in ourselves, we often see it as a flaw, an overreaction, & a source of shame.

But really, what's underneath it all? Why are so many of us so damn angry?

SECONDARY EMOTIONS

Anger is what I call a secondary emotion, meaning that it usually stems from another emotion under the surface. While we may see anger on the surface, it could merely be a form of protection from our fear, an outburst of agony from our sadness, or possibly the only way that we know how to communicate or get attention from others.

PROCESSING & ACCEPTING ANGER

If you consider yourself an angry person or “hot-tempered,” you may doubt the benefits of exploring that anger or allowing it to exist. But on the contrary, understanding & accepting that emotion is an important pathway to overcoming it.