eli5: Why do we destroy/feel the urge to destroy things when angry? How does that relieve anger/stress?
In: Other
Anger as an emotion is the fight part of the “fight, flight, freeze, fawn” responses we have to danger.
We wanna fight because we feel something is dangerous, or otherwise takes control away from us, and we can’t get away from it otherwise. It is the “put into a corner, stay alive at all costs” part of the lizard brain.
Unfortunately, most ‘threats’ we face in the modern day aren’t ‘real’; or at least not physical. We can’t punch them or beat em with a stick. But we also can’t run or appease them. This leads to building stress, which just demands you fight more, which causes an endless loop of anxiety that can manifest as more anger.
However, the urge to hit something is physiological; it is body chemistry, not mental. All it demands is action that feels like action.
Punching something releases the chemicals necessary to allow your body to calm down for the time being; to feel like it has defeated the threat, or at least fended it off for now. Sure, the tiger might still be alive, but it’s not here anymore; your mind is centered, and allowed to think again so you can plan your next move.
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