Channeling the Flames: Women’s Anger as a Catalyst for Change
Emotions aren’t good or bad — it’s how we express them
My client M was livid. Earlier that day she’d pulled into the garage, tired after an appointment had lasted longer than she’d expected―only to find another resident’s car parked in her spot.
“What nerve that man has!” she exclaimed now, as she recounted the story in my office.
Parking spaces were coveted at the housing site where I worked as a bilingual case manager. Many tenants had been on a waiting list for almost a year to obtain one.
How best to respond to M’s frustration? I wondered.
What is anger telling us?
It’s true that anger can quickly get out of hand, obscuring rational thought and at times even escalating to violence.
And yet, studies have shown how its careful expression helps people to feel greater control, increasingly optimistic, and more likely to take risks that yield successful results. Most social movements began with anger as a response to inequity, providing the energy to take corrective action.
