you meet any frustration or problem, you quickly switch into another activity or train of thought. You start jobs and conversations but rarely finish them, you are getting little sense of satisfaction, your frustration builds and, in desperation, you get even speedier. Eventually you, or the people around you, reach breaking point. If you reach breaking point first, you’re in a state of depression; if it is the others who can’t cope, your condition could be labelled manic and you could be deemed in need of the care and control of a psychiatric institution.
Mercifully, very few people reach this terrible state, but don’t too many of us still waste much energy and time by displacing lesser amounts of anger and frustration with chaotic, unfocused and unconstructive activity?
ANGER CAN FUEL PARANOIA, PREJUDICE AND HOSTILE ATTITUDES
Anger can also fan the flames of paranoia and prejudice, even in very ordinary everyday situations. I will illustrate how this can happen with this salutary ‘Jack and Jill’ tale. (Note that I have placed the ‘offending’ thoughts in brackets and in italics.)
Jack, a British businessman, is having a terrible day at work. It started when he learned that the new office cleaners had accidentally spilled coffee over some important papers, and then one of the young secretaries forgot to type a report. Jack bears the news of both with silent resignation. (No one around here cares about their work anymore.) In the afternoon he is given the news that Angela, his younger female colleague with the MBA he’s never managed to get, has been offered the promotion which he had been promised last year. He feels frustrated and angry; but his stiff upper lip keeps his feelings well-hidden. (They’re probably all watching me to see how I react. I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of showing them anything.)
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