The findings suggest emotions that are often considered negative, such as anger, boredom or sadness, can be useful.

Getting angry could help you achieve your goals, new research suggests.

Often perceived as a negative emotion, anger can actually be a powerful motivator for people to meet challenging targets in their lives.

It is useful in achieving more challenging goals, but does not appear to be linked to easier tasks, the study suggests.

The findings suggest emotions that are often considered negative, such as anger, boredom or sadness, can be useful.

Lead author Heather Lench, a professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Texas A and M University, USA, said: “People often believe that a state of happiness is ideal, and the majority of people consider the pursuit of happiness a major life goal.

  • KnightontheSun@lemmy.world
    27·
    1 year ago

    I was crawling under my car two years ago working on it and my gut was getting in the way. It made me mad (at myself) and that anger motivated me to lose 50lbs. That anger isn’t there anymore, but it concretely solidified my motivation to stay thin(ish) and never stray back upwards again. I am no spring chicken, so I fully recognize I need to have my best chances for good health laid out now. That includes weight. And it is easier to lose it now rather than later.

    Anger can absolutely be a constructive component used mindfully and properly.

  • No_Ones_Slick_Like_Gaston@lemmy.world
    234·
    1 year ago

    Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering… And the allure of the dark side of the force.
    There’s no point on embracing these if it directly impacts your health and makes you bitter and in the long run unhappy.

    • toasteecup@lemmy.worldEnglish
      16·
      1 year ago

      There’s a difference between holding a grudge (unhealthy negative impact behavior) and getting upset at something momentarily.

      The act of being upset for a moment comes with adrenaline which can be a fantastic short term boost in physical and mental ability.

      • No_Ones_Slick_Like_Gaston@lemmy.world
        6·
        1 year ago

        Thanks for the input, agreed, different outcomea between using this rush to overcome something immediately rather that let it fester in our minds, big difference there.

        • toasteecup@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          1 year ago

          Yup yup yup. That’s my big takeway which honestly I’ve used throughout my life with overcoming particularly difficult challenges. 'Ain’t no way this thing is going to stop me!"

    • GoodEye8@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      Do you not swat a mosquito when it’s buzzing around you? If you do it’s because it has made you angry. Anger is a tool for change, it just needs to be used responsibly because it can also change you.

    • foggy@lemmy.world
      122·
      1 year ago

      When I was a wee lad learning baseball, my dad yoused to yell to me from the sidelines “Get mad at it!”

      That. Shit. Works.

      Swinging the bat to hit a ball?

      🙂

      Swinging a bat to snuff the life from your enemies?

      💪😡

  • achensherd@lemmy.world
    2·
    1 year ago

    That is legit. A few years ago I was working at a job that was… okay. Big name in my industry, paid the bills, etc. I was occasionally looking at and applying for other jobs on the side, but nothing serious. Then something happened at work that royally pissed me off, which mixed with the amount of pain I was physically in at the time after getting my first COVID shot resulted in a massively-escalated search for a new job, which ultimately landed me in a much better place.

    So yeah, anger makes shit happen.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    21·
    1 year ago

    It’s true, anger can make a motherfucker real productive.

    The question is whether or not what they produce will be good for anyone else.

    I fully agree that anger can be directed towards good goals, however, it can also be directed towards totally dangerous goals, both getting their drive to succeed in their plans from “anger.”

    The person whose anger leads them to create something that helps people, or prevents the horrible violence they suffered, is doing a service for those around them, born out of the anger they had at a broken system. There have been many like this throughout history. Fred Rogers took the pains of his childhood and created Mr. Rogers Neighborhood for similar children, who were maybe bullied and needed a friend, much like he did in his youth.

    The person whose anger leads them on a shooting rampage to kill innocents because they’re angry at a broken system and too dickless to know what to do other than lash out violently are the problem.

    We need more Fred Rogers’ and fewer mass shooters.