Clues that there's more to your anger than meets the eye
"You have a hard time compromising."
Is it hard for you to understand other people’s points of view, and even harder to concede a point?
If you grew up in a family where anger was out of control, you may remember how the angry person got his or her way by being the loudest and most demanding. Compromising might bring up scary feelings of failure and vulnerability.
"You have trouble expressing emotions other than anger."
Do you pride yourself on being tough and in control?
Do you feel that emotions like fear, guilt, or shame don’t apply to you?
Everyone has those emotions so you may be using anger as a cover for them.
"You view different opinions as a personal challenge."
Do you believe that your way is always right and get angry when others disagree?
If you have a strong need to be in control or a fragile ego, you may interpret other perspectives as a challenge to your authority, rather than simply a different way of looking at things.
Reconnect with your emotions to manage anger
If you are uncomfortable with different emotions, disconnected, or stuck on an angry one-note response to situations, it’s important to be able to understand these feelings.
HelpGuide’s Emotional Intelligence Toolkit can help you recognize and unravel your full range of emotions, even the painful ones you may have been covering up with anger.