The most physical of all emotions, anger sends action signals to the muscles and organs of the body. It prepares us to neutralize perceived threats to self or valued persons and property or to gain a competitive advantage when a disadvantage is seen as a threat.
Two factors contribute to the activation of anger: the level of current vulnerability and the magnitude of the perceived threat. Relatively little threat will cause anger when vulnerability is elevated, for example when physical resources are low—tired, hungry, sick, injured, depressed, anxious, stressed—or when self-doubt is high. In our times, most of the threat we perceive is to the ego.
Problem anger (that which leads us to act against our long-term best interests) is caused by high vulnerability. It is the most........