Anger

Anger (also called caro) is a fundamental emotion that a person experiences when they perceive that something has thwarted their goals, or that a right has been violated—either their own or someone else's whom they care about. It is characterized as an emotion with strong motivational force that drives the person to act in response to the situation, and is often tied to an evaluative judgment that another party is responsible for the harm.

Anger varies in intensity and duration: it can range from mild irritation that passes immediately to intense anger lasting several minutes. Psychology distinguishes between anger as an emotion—a transient feeling state—and aggressive behavior as an action; these are not the same. An angry person may or may not commit or refrain from aggressive acts.

Physical signs

When anger occurs, the body enters a state of readiness governed by the autonomic nervous system. Heart rate commonly increases, blood pressure rises, breathing becomes rapid, and muscles tense. The face shows characteristic signs such as narrowed eyes and clenched jaw. Hormones such as adrenaline surge, providing the body with a burst of energy.

Causes and cognitive appraisal

Appraisal theories hold that anger does not arise directly from an event itself, but from how the person interprets the event. If a person perceives the harm as caused by someone's indifference or negligence, anger intensifies. If they view it as unavoidable bad luck, the feeling tends toward sadness or worry instead. Thus different people facing the same event can feel differently about it.

Social and cultural role

Anger serves a communicative function: it signals to others that a boundary has been crossed, and can enable a person to defend their rights or alter an unsatisfactory agreement. Cultures differ in how they permit the expression of anger: some regard it as acceptable when a right has been violated, while others encourage restraint to preserve social bonds. Likewise, philosophical traditions vary in their view of anger across gender and social context.

Management and health effects

Chronic unmanaged anger has been linked to health problems, particularly cardiovascular and immune disorders, and persistent social conflict. Methods of management include cognitive reappraisal (reinterpreting the situation differently), slow breathing, temporary withdrawal until the feeling subsides, and cognitive behavioral therapy training. Prolonged overt expression of anger—such as object destruction—does not appear to reduce the emotion and may reinforce the habit.