‘Pessimism Is The Cure For Anger’

We tend to think of anger has a negative, pessimistic feeling. It’s actually linked to optimism, though. Anger is often a reaction to being let down after we’re optimistic about something.

As the School of Life explains, we often feel angry because we’re hopeful about a situation but it veers from that optimistic path. For example, you hope to have a long, awesome relationship, so you feel really angry when your partner ends it. Or maybe you were optimistic about spending time with a friend, then you get angry because she’s always too busy to see you.

If you want to figure out how to let go of anger, this is an important point. Here’s what the School of Life suggests:

Our agitation isn’t permanent or unbeatable. It’s only the result of the sudden defeat of our expectations. So in order to grow reliably, we need to get a lot less optimistic about how life might go. Pessimism is the cure for anger.

This goes along with the old adage, “expect the worst but hope for the best.” Pessimism gets a bad rap, but it can indeed serve a purpose. For more from the School of Life, head to the link below.

How not to be Angry all the Time [The School of Life (YouTube)]