Aggression for the Ages The feeling of hate was once necessary to survive back in our evolutionary history. The emotions closely associated with hate such as anger and aggression evolved in order to aid in our successful evolutionary journey. In What’s So Bad about Hate? Andrew Sullivan provides a reflection about hate and other associated emotions’ purpose early on, “At some point in our evolution, being able to know beforehand who was friend or foe was not merely a matter of philosophical reflection” (309). Today we still feel seemingly negative emotions strongly, but it is no longer appropriate to fight in an animalistic way to claim what we feel is ours. John Archer elaborates on how the role of aggression fits into society based on ever-changing
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People did not lose these seemingly negative emotions over time because they have been and still are critical for people’s overall survival. In the beginning aggression’s function was used to sustain our physical well-being. Over time the emotion has not evolved, but its purpose has. People adapt to their environment based on circumstance. The social environment today calls for a more tactical and strategic approach to achieving our goals. The powerful, inherent emotions people feel can be adapted more appropriately to accommodate the difficulties of succeeding in today’s social framework. Certain personality types are more adept at transforming and redirecting aggression. Social hierarchy has always had the most powerful personalities at the top of the pyramid. Whether it is the Pharaoh, a CEO, or the President, all of these powerful figures beat out the competition through the adjusted means of their society. Adapting to the environment is essential for success currently. The person’s personality type can hint at the way they harness their aggressive feelings and implement these …show more content…
There are health benefits that come along with letting anger out or “blowing off steam”. A Harvard study conducted by Jennifer Lerner, an experimental social psychologist and current Harvard professor, found that anger decreases the effect cortisol has on the heart. Also, when we get angry our heart rate, cortisol levels, and blood pressure levels may increase, but in the long term our levels of cortisol drop (JER). This suggests that anger helps people calm down and enables people to face a problem as opposed to running from it. As people we either move toward something or avoid something. When our body allows us to relax through decreasing cortisol levels we are more clear-headed and determined to face what we had been trying to avoid. In a study found in The Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 55 percent of participants claimed an angry episode made for a positive outcome. The participants also claimed that by getting angry they were able to see where they might be at fault in the situation. The group asserted that being yelled at as the target of aggression allowed them to really understand the other person’s point of view after the confrontation (Deangelis, “When anger’s a plus”). Anger and aggression do have positive benefits both physically and mentally. The decreased cortisol levels due to letting aggression out follows up with less stress allowing the person to become more balanced which is good for
People did not lose these seemingly negative emotions over time because they have been and still are critical for people’s overall survival. In the beginning aggression’s function was used to sustain our physical well-being. Over time the emotion has not evolved, but its purpose has. People adapt to their environment based on circumstance. The social environment today calls for a more tactical and strategic approach to achieving our goals. The powerful, inherent emotions people feel can be adapted more appropriately to accommodate the difficulties of succeeding in today’s social framework. Certain personality types are more adept at transforming and redirecting aggression. Social hierarchy has always had the most powerful personalities at the top of the pyramid. Whether it is the Pharaoh, a CEO, or the President, all of these powerful figures beat out the competition through the adjusted means of their society. Adapting to the environment is essential for success currently. The person’s personality type can hint at the way they harness their aggressive feelings and implement these …show more content…
There are health benefits that come along with letting anger out or “blowing off steam”. A Harvard study conducted by Jennifer Lerner, an experimental social psychologist and current Harvard professor, found that anger decreases the effect cortisol has on the heart. Also, when we get angry our heart rate, cortisol levels, and blood pressure levels may increase, but in the long term our levels of cortisol drop (JER). This suggests that anger helps people calm down and enables people to face a problem as opposed to running from it. As people we either move toward something or avoid something. When our body allows us to relax through decreasing cortisol levels we are more clear-headed and determined to face what we had been trying to avoid. In a study found in The Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 55 percent of participants claimed an angry episode made for a positive outcome. The participants also claimed that by getting angry they were able to see where they might be at fault in the situation. The group asserted that being yelled at as the target of aggression allowed them to really understand the other person’s point of view after the confrontation (Deangelis, “When anger’s a plus”). Anger and aggression do have positive benefits both physically and mentally. The decreased cortisol levels due to letting aggression out follows up with less stress allowing the person to become more balanced which is good for