What is the appeal of anger that it can become a habit, almost an addiction? Can suppressed or passive anger become like that, too?
I think the appeal is the adrenaline rush, the feeling of being wide awake and in control, the feeling that others will not take advantage of me. All of this is reasonable if it is within reasonable bounds. By that I mean that the anger is not controlling you, which can happen as people fly out of control with a temper that then is hard to manage.
A habit of anger, when intense, is hard to break, but it can be done with a strong will, the practice of forgiveness, and an awareness of how the anger-habit has compromised one’s life. Passive anger can be habit-forming as well and that is a more difficult habit to break if the person is unaware of it. Insights of unhappiness or of reduced energy can be clues to people that they are harboring passive anger in need of healing.
Forgiving others for injustices that have fostered this kind of anger is an important step in curing the anger.
Learn more at What is Forgiveness?
