Vitras Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) Over the past two years I've done my best to mature and understand others. I try to be happy every day and help others, but it's painful to see others be so upset with each other over simple things that shouldn't even be fought over. So, I decided on trying to write this article for my school newsletter. I'd like some (serious) feedback on it maybe with suggestions on how to improve it. P.S. Yes, I know this is a weird place to post this, but I'd like to get feedback. Honestly, I'm hearing and seeing more anger than what I'm comfortable with. My heart actually aches every morning from someone saying "I'm going to kill them", "I hate them", or "They're stupid". Being so aggressive and cruel is pointless and often results in a worse situation. This is my truth of anger. Usually, anger comes from being challenged, including being told you're wrong, insulted by your peers, and ordered by your teachers. It's the natural reaction to protect one's pride. The most common type of anger I've seen is against the teachers, whether it's assigned homework, a misunderstood joke, or delivered discipline. Unwelcome authority easily causes anger. Then there is the anger between students. For these situations, it's usually from rivalry, exes, and drama in general. Another thing which doesn't help much is media; the shows on TV networks, like Oxygen and MTV, are using shows with high drama with conflict, creating the illusion of fights to be a good thing. Any kind of action, opinion, or statement can give an excuse for someone to be angry, but that doesn't mean it's worth it. Here's something to ponder: Have you ever had a heated argument or fight which wasn't made up with a positive outcome? The main objective when anger clouds someone's mind is usually to insult and demoralize the other as much as possible to come out "victorious". The point of this is to feel dominant, but what good comes out of hurting another's feelings? When a student argues with a teacher, let's say about not allowing him/her to listen to his/her iPod, there isn't a point either. One scenario is the student will keep ranting to the teacher while the teacher will still say no each time. Another scenario is the teacher just reports the student to the office. Nothing different comes of that, especially since the teacher is the authority, not the student. Then when students fight with each other, let's say over a joke one took offense to, feelings are hurt with nothing good taken from it. Friendships can easily be lost from ridiculous things because of uncontrolled anger. As for myself, I have realized this truth of anger and have done my best to eliminate it from my behavior with other students and teachers. I had a past rapport with someone who had anger issues. He would take offense to the slightest thing, even just the wrong verb tense if it was personal. We would fight so much, and each time he would apologize, but only after he tried to prove me wrong every way possible. This went so far that I actually believed I was a horrible person causing him all this hurt. Once I realized it wasn't me and that I could not fix it, I ended it. Now, if I disagree with a teacher, I might bring it up but will not actually argue or fight over it, because I know it will get me nowhere good and the teacher must have a reason. With other students, if they get upset about something or say something I could have taken offense to, I ignore the anger and pay attention to why he or she might have acted like that. In all honesty, I cringe when people are angry at each other because of the harm they are causing and cannot repair. People do get upset for reasons they cannot control, but then others respond with their own anger instead of trying to understand. My goal is not to belittle others and hold myself superior, but to understand others, treat them as equals, and make them happy. Anger does not help, it hurts. It shouldn't matter if someone said something which might have been able to be taken the wrong way, it doesn't permit aggressive arguments to rage. No one is perfect, and I mean that in two ways: others don't have complete control over their emotions or read minds, and you yourself are not perfect so do not hold yourself with too much pride. If someone is upset and in a rage, rise above the situation and show control over your anger then help them calm down and relax. Don't be angry, be happy. Edited April 20, 2014 by Vitras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadiantProxy Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 A great article! More people should think about how they behave and how their behavior affects others. There were some minor grammatical mistakes ("let's say about not allowing him/her to listen to their iPod"), but aside of that it's very insightful. Self control is what sets us humans apart from animals =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitras Posted April 19, 2014 Author Share Posted April 19, 2014 A great article! More people should think about how they behave and how their behavior affects others. There were some minor grammatical mistakes ("let's say about not allowing him/her to listen to their iPod"), but aside of that it's very insightful. Self control is what sets us humans apart from animals =) Thanks. Ah, I'll fix that. This kind of thing is usually what I think about when I have some time alone. I try to come up with different ways to make myself better for others to keep everyone happy... I'm glad you liked it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAFIRE Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 have my +1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archistopheles Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) Two very important things to know about anger: 1. It's addictive. Anger is one of the primal emotions closely tied with survival. Anger is the opposite of fear - it's the opposite of weak. Anger gives us the courage to fight back and fighting back against something that is trying to eat you usually involves some anger. As modern animals who aren't necessarily in danger of being eaten, our anger still gives us the feeling of being strong, it still hides our fear and fills our veins with adrenaline. That adrenaline high is addictive, and we can get used to it pretty easily, which leads to either accepting anger as normal, or finding things that make us even more angry to get that same adrenaline high. 2. Projection. As a student, you should already be familiar with emotional projection, so I'll keep this short. People have a great way of taking anger/frustration about something completely unrelated, and channeling it onto an undeserving victim. "Nerd rage" is a prime example. Nerds can be socially frustrated, and can use video games as an outlet. When that game also hits them with frustration instead of release, "nerd rage" is the result. I love this subject, and this forum is ripe with beautiful examples of anger in all it's forms. Edited April 20, 2014 by Archistopheles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freelancer27 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Personally, I find my Anger-issues as a kid to be abrupt and immature since it does no productive output other than causing trouble and even more hatred towards my classmates. I learned that the hard way as my pen scratches off a wrist on one of my friends as my tantrum becomes too blindly arrogant that I got all my grades deducted by 2 points due to be transgression to people who simply block my view, despite of repetitive instruction. Truly, I like the way you think about aggression, actually, as I said, I relatively live the way you had at school. Which is, to me, horrible and disputable. Now, I find my ways to channel my aggression into a form of something that rips the flesh of the living that excretes sustenance of my own liking in which I indulge with extreme hemophilia that makes me the degenerative man focusing his utterly incriminate rage towards his peers with joy and human suffering! Nah, I'm just turning my rage into a fun way of thinking about killing people although I won't... ... directly, like GLaDOS. :3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InritusOO Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 A minor grammatical gripe, because I enjoy semantics like that(It's a curse, help) "One scenario is the student will keep ranting to the teacher while the teacher will still so no each time." Should be "say". This may be a school newspaper, but including some philosophy might be a good addition. There is an old saying I like, "Violence begets violence". Nothing comes from having a fight but more hatred, which leads to more fighting. The only thing that can stop this vicious cycle is forgiveness and restraint. The works of Gandhi/MLK/Buddha might be good quoting material as people respect them. But, if it doesn't fit with the rest of your paper, then feel free to exclude it. Your last paragraph was what left the biggest impression in my mind, and that's definitely good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitras Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) -snip- That primal urge of fighting back is definitely influential for many people's actions. And yes, I am quite familiar with emotional projection. I try not to participate in most of it, but have failed to stop myself a couple of times because of a certain, selfish family member. -snip- I'm sorry anger made things bad for you. I've had some of my own tantrums in the past (with the broken chairs in the corner...), so I can understand a bit with how that was. And yay for video games so those feelings can be vented in a (virtually) harmless way! -snip- Oh, darn. Fixed. A quote does sound like something that would work well with it, although it'd have to be a simple one for other students to understand and take something from it. Like maybe Einstein's: "If success in life equals x plus y plus z, x is work, y is play, and z is keeping your mouth shut." And the closing paragraph is something I'm always nervous about, so I'm glad you think well of it. Edited April 20, 2014 by Vitras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somedude1000 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Wow this is good, but i probably misunderstood everything you said :D Also, if there did not exist, anger, there would be no fury, rage or wrath, and therefore no aggression. In an evolutionary sense, no aggression turns you into a sitting duck for predators. Also, lacking such aggression doesn't necessarily have to be an advantage, at least at this stage of human evolution. No need to worry tho, we'll curb this in the next few million years God-willing. Then again I'm just a kid Godspeed tho :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freelancer27 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 I'm sorry anger made things bad for you. I've had some of my own tantrums in the past (with the broken chairs in the corner...), so I can understand a bit with how that was. Nah, it's fine. I actually feel appreciated that you showed your experiences to us. :3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vitras Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Wow this is good, but i probably misunderstood everything you said :D Also, if there did not exist, anger, there would be no fury, rage or wrath, and therefore no aggression. In an evolutionary sense, no aggression turns you into a sitting duck for predators. Also, lacking such aggression doesn't necessarily have to be an advantage, at least at this stage of human evolution. No need to worry tho, we'll curb this in the next few million years God-willing. Then again I'm just a kid Godspeed tho :D That is true. There are some people who prey on others and without aggression it may seem they are defenseless, but there are ways. It can be difficult but we may soon get there. Or later. Either way :D Nah, it's fine. I actually feel appreciated that you showed your experiences to us. :3 It'd be wrong of me to use others' situations and dissect them without sharing my own side. I try my best to be helpful and honest :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin_Case001 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Good article. Kudos, OP. Kudos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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