Article February 13, 2006 Issue

ANGER MANAGED AND HEALED FOR GOOD

BY ULRIKE PRINZ

Slamming doors, throwing dishes, getting into fights—I've known it all. An explosive outburst might seem to be freeing at first, but I came to realize early on that violence and fury cannot achieve anything good, nor can they convince someone else to change his or her behavior. Rather, it leaves behind a bad taste in your mouth, and often an intense feeling of shame.

As a child, I was prone to get angry when I felt that I or someone else had not been treated fairly. Anger would give me the courage to stand up for my convictions in front of others, no matter if they were bigger and stronger kids, or adults. And I would react to situations vehemently, with strong words, and often by getting physical.

When I was little, adults would sometimes see my temper fits as "funny" or "cute," and I was sometimes called a "hothead" and "tomboy." Even then, however, I didn't think it was funny when people laughed at my behavior—it just made me angrier. I wanted to be taken seriously. Already I was quite aware that being angry wasn't how I wanted to be. I had learned in Sunday School that God is Love and that He had created me in His image and likeness. I longed for His love, and wanted to be good.

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