Why do some people snap over even minor irritations?
Reactions to anger really aren’t instantaneous, even if it may appear that someone suddenly “snaps.” When someone explodes with anger, there are actually a lot of feelings behind that prior to reaching that boiling point. What happens, though, is that people don’t stop to examine their feelings before they explode. Your personal history feeds your reactions to anger. That’s why some people react so angrily to certain situations, like losing a parking space, while others take it in stride. You may have built up years of feeling unheard, ignored, sad, frustrated or disrespected. From the activating event that initially triggers your anger, you move along a continuum where you feel a number of things, such as intensifying agitation or irritation. Then your personal history comes into play and you may explode, especially if you don’t step back to think about where your anger is heading. Also, if you were taught that being angry was negative, you may never have learned how to express anger
Reactions to anger really aren’t instantaneous, even if it may appear that someone suddenly “snaps.” When someone explodes with anger, there are actually a lot of feelings behind that prior to reaching that boiling point. What happens, though, is that people don’t stop to examine their feelings before they explode. Your personal history feeds your reactions to anger. That’s why some people react so angrily to certain situations, like losing a parking space, while others take it in stride. You may have built up years of feeling unheard, ignored, sad, frustrated or disrespected. From the activating event that initially triggers your anger, you move along a continuum where you feel a number of things, such as intensifying agitation or irritation, and then your personal history comes into play and you may explode, especially if you don’t step back to think about where your anger is heading. Also, if you were taught that being angry was negative, you may never have learned how to express an
