The Attraction of Anger
[The following answer retains the tone of the impromptu live discourse]
Sadhguru: Anger must be a very beautiful thing, because a lot of people have taken onto it. It must be a very wonderful thing, because so many people have chosen it, like Coca-Cola. Probably more people are into anger than Coca-Cola, isn’t it? So it must be a really great thing so many people have chosen. But they have not chosen; they have helplessly fallen into it, that’s the problem.
They have fallen into it because, for most people? in a way they have chosen it unconsciously, because the most intense moments in their lives are either pain or anger. These are the only two intensities that they know and every human being always longs for intensity. So today watching these sports and other things has become such a big thing, because of the intensity in it.
You remember the film The Gladiators: these gladiators—it is a sport, a wild sport—war was a sport. Because it is not the violence, it is not the blood, it is not the killing that people like. People want to see something intense. Now why all these thrillers and action movies and sports events are so popular is that people want some intensity, somewhere. They don’t know how to be intense. Either through physical action, or through anger, or through pain, this is the only way they know how to be intense.
The very reason drugs and sex have become such a big thing in the world is somehow they want to experience some intensity, at least for a few moments; they want to know some intensity. It is the intensity which draws them. And as you know, I am always talking about intensity because that is the only thing that man is seeking for, and that is the only thing that will liberate man from his present bondages.
So anger is enormous intensity; (but) it’s an intensity which hurts you. It’s an intensity which can get you into a lot of trouble. It’s an intensity which can destroy you and the people around you. It’s an intensity which gets you into absolutely stupid states of action. Though you know it causes so much damage, here and there you want to get into anger.
And people like the angry man, please see. See, you want to go and watch a movie; if your hero, the Hollywood man, is a very calm, quiet man, you’re not so interested in him. If he’s an angry man, who stands up and does things in anger, not peacefully, you like him because he’s got intensity about him. So you would like to do the same thing, but you pay a very big price trying to be angry in the situations in which you live, because people around you are going to get even more angry with you, and they will do their own things to you.
People have done wonderful things out of anger also. A lot of people still believe genuine action will come forth only in anger. See now, for example, we have to fight a battle, let’s say, to protect ourselves, to protect our families, our country. We can fight a war without anger very efficiently, but people would like to fight with anger because they don’t know how else to become intense. They have to create anger; that’s the only way they know how to be intense, and that is the only way they know how to perform intense activity or fruitful activity in some way. That’s the only way they can get themselves to do certain things which they would otherwise be incapable of doing.
So don’t worry about your anger. At least in anger you’re becoming intense. But it’s time to transform this intensity of anger into higher levels of intensity where it’s very beautiful. At least somebody’s able to get angry, I’m happy. I can’t bear with the people who are eating eight meals a day and are just lethargic, and nothing happens within them; they don’t even get angry. If anger is happening, at least some life is cooking within you; life is still kicking, you know?Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
