On: Being Angry

Exploring the power of righteous anger and how it's a catalyst for change.

We’ve all heard of an angry vegan. The person that no one wants to be around, the one who takes everything too seriously, the one who is mad at others who perpetuate the consumption of animal-based foods. 

I never thought it would be me. But I’m now the angry vegan. 

Because anger shows you something. It shows you where the injustice is. It doesn’t feel good to be angry, frankly, it’s exhausting. And in today’s world, being angry is kind of inevitable. Anger about human rights violations, the torture and killing of over 90 billion animals per year, and a collapsing climate - I’m angry about a lot of things. 

But there’s a difference between pure anger and righteous anger. Righteous anger can be directed, used to make a change. 

Research proves this. The biological effects of anger activate the frontal hemisphere of our brain which is linked to motivation and increases blood flow to the hands. Anger wants you to move.

Where we get stuck is not yielding it. We sit in it, stewing. Unable to push forward in any meaningful capacity other than making ourselves miserable. 

Anger erodes, even when it’s justified. How we bridge the gap is action. Through action anger dissipates, washed away by the sheer force of moving through it. Stay still and rot. Move and be free. The choice should be simple but often we cling to the anger thinking we need it to survive. A heavy security blanket that’s anything but. 

Anger also tends to bring along pals. Shame and embarrassment often go hand in hand with being angry, righteous or not. I once yelled at a neighbor for throwing his cigarette butt into the road, “Do you know how long that takes to break down, idiot?” Not my finest moment to be sure. The guilt that followed was worse than the slight I felt he extended to me and Mother Nature.

Anger helps us set boundaries, yes. But anger slides into rage pretty effortlessly for most. We want revenge, to make the other side know they are wrong and that we feel wronged. 

On one hand, I can be angry at the state of animal agriculture. Pissed off at every person lining up at the grocery store meat counter. But what am I getting from this anger? 

This so-called good anger is addicting. Enter doomscrolling. Are you guilty? Research shows that righteous anger gives our egos a little boost. We feel better than something, or someone, which makes us feel special. In the case of being vegan, better than meat eaters. The fact is that we opt into anger because we like it. 

We like it. 

"Existential Kink" by Carolyn Elliot, Ph.D., delves into this duality within us, where unconscious desires, deemed taboo, shape our lives and fuel negative patterns. Notably, psychologists like Freud termed it "psychic masochism," Jung recognized it as "the Shadow," and Lacan referred to it as "jouissance." They all highlighted the significance of acknowledging and embracing these hidden desires in order to integrate them. 

Integrating isn’t easy. Action isn’t easy. It is, however, essential. 

For me as much as for you, I researched science-backed ways to release anger. Maybe one of these will resonate, maybe all of them will. My hope is that we can all become a little softer, yielding our anger like a knife to cut and shape the world into a more loving place. 

Short-term:

Journal

Shown to reduce anger by promoting cognitive processing and emotional regulation through increased self-awareness journaling is a great way to lay out your feelings. 

Break something

No, we’re not punching any walls. Maybe you have a rage room near you? You can also get creative. I once smashed an acorn squash on my patio very violently. Controlled physical outlets, like breaking an object in a safe environment, engage the body's fight-or-flight response, allowing for the discharge of built-up adrenaline associated with anger.

Scream/sing

Vocalization, whether through screams or singing, activates the body's parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing the physiological arousal linked to anger. If you’re a city dweller like I currently am, taking a drive somewhere a bit more rural to do your yelling is probably best for your neighbors.

Move

Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, which have mood-regulating effects, contributing to the mitigation of anger. Go for a run, jump up and down, dance. Any type of somatic movement will do. Rock climbing is my movement of choice. The sensation of strength coursing through me as I pull myself up a wall replaces the anger that was anchoring me. It instills a profound sense of empowerment.

Create

Engaging in creative activities like painting fosters emotional processing by redirecting negative emotions into a form of self-expression, leading to emotional relief. One of my favorite paintings to date is titled “Angered Flow.” I painted it after a particularly unfun fight with my partner one morning and now it hangs in our loft reminding me that something beautiful can come from something ugly. 

Long-Term

Stay off the internet

Decreasing exposure to online negativity is step #1. Unfollow rage bait accounts, stop reading negative news, stop mindlessly scrolling. We all know this but it can be hard to do. I’m not a stranger to checking my email at 2 a.m. I find that I often reach for my phone when I’m already anxious. Replacing that scroll with reading a book or magazine, making a cup of tea, or going for a walk are all better options.

Meditate

Altering neural pathways related to emotional regulation, leading to a less reactionary mindset, meditation soothes our brains. No need for fancy apps, sitting quietly and letting thoughts come and go will do the trick.

Make a difference

Proactive engagement in social causes provides a sense of purpose giving us those feel-good hormones that dissipate e anger. This could look like volunteering, fundraising, or writing your elected officials about your chosen cause. If your anger is more personal than systemic, well, maybe that’s telling you something you don’t want to hear. Maybe you need to change careers, end a relationship, or physically move somewhere new. 

Stop labeling anger as bad

Embrace your kink. Feel the good feelings from the anger without judgment, then release the rest through action.