Psychology and Pedagogy of AngerRichardson, Roy Franklin
Science
Psychology and Pedagogy of Anger
Richardson, Roy Franklin
Anger
With a third condition for the disappearance of anger, pleasantness is
present but usually in the form of mild relief. Positive self-feeling is
not so clearly marked in consciousness. The subject looks at the
offender’s point of view, finds excuses for his behavior, elevates his
opinion it may be of him. A new idea is added to the mental situation
exciting anger which entirely alters the feeling content, and
consequently anger disappears. Subject I. observes, “When I finally
concluded that X. meant well, my anger was almost gone.” G. resentful at
X. because he did not speak to him states, “I recalled suddenly that he
is cross-eyed and probably did not see me. I said to myself, ‘He is a
good fellow and is friendly toward me all right.’ My emotion was now
gone.” B. mildly angry at X. and Y. for intruding upon him, observes the
following soliloquy. “No, they have more right here than I have. This
room is for people to converse in rather than for one man to occupy
alone. My anger was now decreased but not entirely gone.” Even a
tentative excuse for the offender’s behavior allays anger temporarily.
The emotion may last for several days, appearing at intervals, and with
a sudden introduction of a new idea providing an adequate excuse for the
offence, the condition exciting the emotion will be completely changed.
Anger diminishes and disappears more frequently in the change of
attention than by any other one condition. A pause in the midst of anger
to attend to one’s mental behavior affords a diminution of the affective
process. It is often reported as amusing when a subject suddenly ceases
attending to the situation exciting the emotion and observes his mental
behavior; laughter at this point is often reported. Close attention to
the act of managing the irritating or humiliating incident, allows a
rather gradual diminution of anger. Anger does not arise when the
subject is rigidly attending to the damage done, but only when he begins
to feel the damage as humiliating, irritating or as contrary to justice.
One subject hums or sings when angry. A joke or witticism will break the
crust of conscious tension allowing the attention to be distracted
elsewhere.
The subject may suddenly assume an apathetic attitude toward the whole
incident and kill the emotion at least temporarily. The mental situation
from which anger arises, is one contrary to indifference, in fact, the
lack of indifference is one of the essential characteristics of the
fore-condition of anger, and consequently when this attitude is present,
anger is cut off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account