eli5: Why do we destroy/feel the urge to destroy things when angry? How does that relieve anger/stress?

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eli5: Why do we destroy/feel the urge to destroy things when angry? How does that relieve anger/stress?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Not that it doesn’t exist, but I don’t think freaking out and breaking things is a particular common (or normal) trait for adults. I’ve only ever seen streamers & actors smash stuff.

Maybe it is for those who have no particular outlet to properly vent or perhaps grew up in an environment where that was normalised? Surely breaking something on ‘instinct’ causes more stress.

Either way, it probably comes from wanting to distract yourself. Punch a wall? Suddenly pain to deal with. Break a table? Time to get a new table. In terms of attacking people, it’s probably to do with asserting dominance or to feel ‘stronger’.

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