Psychology and Pedagogy of AngerRichardson, Roy Franklin
Science
Psychology and Pedagogy of Anger
Richardson, Roy Franklin
Anger
It is well known that there is little constancy in the outside
situation, associated with the emotion of anger. What one will take as
an insult, another will regard as a joke. With the same individual,
what will at one time excite anger, will at another be scarcely
noticed. We commonly say, referring to some incident, “There was
nothing for him to be angry about,” and the statement may be correct
if the outside situation is viewed as the stimulus to the emotion.
With the insane and hysterical, an observer is often baffled by the
apparently harmless idea that will excite anger. The fact is, the
situation stimulating anger is a psychic one. We fail in viewing our
emotional life in the same manner as we do in observing our sensations.
Whatever the outside conditions, it is the psychic situation as
only a partial reflection of outside conditions, that is of primary
importance. A few instances of the current views of the situation
exciting anger may be given. What may be called a genetic view is
illustrated in McDougall’s (15) statement, “The condition of its
(anger) excitement is rather any opposition to the free exercise of
any impulse, any obstruction to the activity to which the creature
is impelled by any one of the other instincts.” Dewey (6) in his
conception of instincts has pointed out that we are not angry when we
are fighting successfully. Only when the pugnacious instinct is impeded
does emotion arise. An introspective view may be taken from Bain (2),
“When we have suffered harm at the hands of another, it leaves a sting
in the violation of the sanctity of our feelings. This pre-supposes a
sentiment of self regarding pride, the presence of which gives rise to
the best developed form of anger.” David Irons (12), who did some keen
work in the analysis of the emotions, does not qualify his statement
that anger appears only when we feel that we have been injured.
From the pathological side, Féré (7) and Magnan (11) have described slow
accumulation of anger in paranoiacs, which seems to re-enforce the
casual introspective view stated above. These insane persons first
believe they are persecuted. They suspect all about them. Even their
very best friends are trying to injure their business or reputation.
Gradually reactionary impulses begin and they themselves become the
persecutors and concern themselves with the business of revenge. They
find gratification in every sort of angry outburst,—insult, abuse,
threat, murderous attack, irony, witticism, etc.
The same view has been advanced by Steinmetz (18) in the observation of
the behavior of primitive people. He holds that revenge is essentially
rooted in the feeling of power and superiority. It arises upon the
experience of injury and its aim is to enhance self-feeling, which has
been lowered by the injury suffered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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