生气的好处.doc

愤怒积极的一面：生气的6大心理益处The Upside of Anger: 6 Psychological Benefits of Getting Mad 2012-03-19 16:38 我们通常认为生气是非理性的行为，是消极情绪，但是，有研究发现生气这一行为也有着其积极的一面。There are all sorts of good sensible, civilised reasons to avoid getting angry.Not only does it make you feel bad, it makes you do stupid things without noticing the risks and it can be self-destructive.As a result civilised people do their best to suppress, redirect and mask their anger. Most of us treat our anger as though its unreasonable, unshowable and unmentionable.But like all emotions anger has its purposes, which can be used to good effect.1. Anger is a motivating forceYou sometimes hear people talking about using anger as a motivating force by turning anger into positive energy. In fact anger itself is a kind of positive energy and a powerful motivating force. Research has shown that anger can make us push on towards our goals in the face of problems and barriers.In one study participants were shown objects they associated with a reward. Some, though, were first exposed to angry faces. Those shown the angry faces were more likely to want objects they were subsequently exposed to (Aarts et al., 2010).When we see something as beneficial, we want it more when were angry. So, when used right, constructive anger can make you feel strong and powerful and help push you on to get what you want.2. Angry people are more optimisticIt may sound like an odd thing to say, but angry people have something in common with happy people. Thats because both tend to be more optimistic.Take one study of fear of terrorism carried out in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In this study those experiencing anger expected fewer attacks in the future (Lerner et al., 2003). In contrast those experiencing more fear were more pessimistic about the future and expected further attacks.3. Anger can benefit relationshipsAnger is a natural reaction to being wronged by someone else and its a way of communicating that sense of injustice. But society tells us anger is dangerous and we should hide it. What does this do to our personal relationships?Oddly enough research has shown that hiding anger in intimate relationships can be detrimental (Baumeister et al., 1990). The problem is that when you hide your anger, your partner doesnt know theyve done something wrong. And so they keep doing it. And that doesnt do your relationship any good.The expression of anger, if justifiable and aimed at finding a solution rather than just venting, can actually benefit and strengthen relationships.4. Anger provides self-insightAnger can also provide insight into ourselves, if we allow it.A sample of Americans and Russians were asked about how recent outbursts of anger had affected them (Kassinove et al., 1997). 55% claimed that getting angry had let to a positive outcome. One top of this one-third said that anger provided an insight into their own faults.If we can notice when we get angry and why, then we can learn what to do to improve our lives. Anger can motivate self-change.5. Anger reduces violenceAlthough anger often precedes physical violence, it can also be a way of reducing violence. Thats because its a very strong social signal that a situation needs to be resolved. When others see the signal they are more motivated to try and placate the angry party.If youre still not convinced that anger might reduce violence, imagine a world without anger where people had no method for showing how they felt about injustice. Might they jump straight to violence?6. Anger as negotiation strategyAnger can be a legitimate way to get what you want. In one study of negotiation participants made larger concessions and fewer demands of an angry person than one who was happy (Van Kleef et al., 2002).So theres some evidence that anger can be used as a negotiation strategy, but its more complicated than that. You cant just lose your rag and expect to win everything you want.Anger is likely to work best when it