If you become angry with me and I don’t feel insulted nor accept your hostility, the anger falls back on you, as it was initially yours to give. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me.
Buddha
Anger disguised as passion fills the pages of social media, as individuals freely share their opinions and beliefs without considering the consequences their words might provoke.
But anger isn’t the flipside of passion.
Anger is passion without respect. And anger without respect is uglier than a blobfish, a creature considered to be one of the ugliest animals on the planet.
“I’m right; you’re wrong” is the battle cry behind most social media posts that don’t feature a dog or a cat.
I’m not saying all anger is bad. Even Jesus got pissed off at the money changers in the temple. But anger should be about something … not someone.
Did you get that?
Let me state it another way to make sure you understand.
You have every right to be angry at something someone does, but leave them and their character out of it.
Attack and Be Attacked
As a Gemini, my gentle twin avoids confrontation like the plague. I keep silent during heated conversations for fear I might say the wrong thing at the wrong time. But don’t mistake my silence for indifference.
You can disagree with me. But the minute I sense your disrespect — the moment I perceive your anger as an attack — my not-so-gentle twin kicks the gentle one in the ass to remind her that being a doormat isn’t sexy.
Writing is my confrontation weapon of choice. It’s also the positive energy I use to tame the angry dragon. I admit that my anger energy is sometimes less than positive, but rational emotions are the subject of a future article.
Push the buttons of my anger threshold, and my words spill onto a page like fire and brimstone at the peak of Armageddon. I send the dragon back to its cage, whimpering and begging for mercy, tail between its legs.
If you’ve experienced the emotional intensity of my anger, you know I’m not exaggerating. You might have even flung the fire back at me. By then, we’re both in an inferno, and the nearest fire engine has lost its water supply.
Who wins then?
The Ugly Sister’s Transformation
Attacking those who disagree with certain points of view is evident on every social media platform. The ego-driven drivel raises its voice until it gets the last word in. Once the ugly train to anger leaves the station, there’s no turning back, and derailment is imminent.
This approach to disagreements soon seeks out support soldiers to help win the war. Unfriending and ghosting those on the opposing side is social media currency, radio silence the religion of choice.
But befriending those who agree with us and ghosting those who don’t is a master’s thesis on ignorance. If I can’t read your posts, and you ignore mine, all I see is your ostrich ass sticking out of the sand. It might be a cute ass, but it’s an ass nonetheless.
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
Buddha
Let’s try a different approach. Let’s stop mistaking anger for passion.
By placing the slipper of common ground on the ugly sister, her beauty blossoms, and everybody wins.
Trading Barbs With Barb 