What is all the Rage About!?

The other day I asked my face book community why everyone was so angry and I got a great deal of responses. It seems a lot of individuals are concerned over our increased inability to control ourselves. Over the years I have noticed that rage has grown exponentially in almost all areas of American life.

There is road rage, air rage, cyber rage, inner city rage, and a host of other rages that won’t fit into this article. It feels like we are turning into toddlers who can only stamp their feet and demand to have their needs met, no matter how irrational they are. Adult tantrums have become fodder for TV shows. Bridezilla, the Bachelor, and the housewives of every imaginable segment of the population seems to get incredible ratings. We are not only pissed off, we like to watch pissed off people as entertainment. Whatever happened to keeping a handle on your emotions? Everything I have read about becoming an evolved individual has maintained that humility, compassion, civility, and kindness are the foundation of a decent human being. It appears that many have forgotten the golden rule. “Do onto others’ as you would have them do unto you”. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to keep the public glued to their sets. Is it a sense of entitlement that has fostered this new paradigm? Do we have so little disregard for others that we can only focus on ourselves? I pose the question, because I believe as a nation we need to have some dialogue about what I consider to be a very serious problem.

Perhaps, we can start by examining our personal circle, i.e. family, friends and ourselves. Maybe you are becoming used to the impatience, incivility and aggression that is becoming so much a part of daily life. Take some time to notice if this is the case. If you sense you are part of the problem step back and take a good look at yourself. When you feel yourself getting enraged, try instead to engage.

Engage your rational mind, by asking yourself “what’s the point of this outburst”? Not much of what we consider to be a crisis is. If you find it difficult to maintain calmness and you actually get off on being hyper vigilante, then you may want to go to medical school and become an emergency room physician. At least you’ll be doing something useful!