Dr. Martin Hash Podcast

In the primitive battle for survival and social dominance, anger overcomes reason and even fear. Anger is the “fight” component of the fight-or-flight response, and apparently it's very important to human existence, considering its prevalence. Anger is provoked by a myriad of stimuli: threat, frustration, even embarrassment. Anger is primordial: there is a disruption of the body’s homeostasis excited by adrenalin with physical manifestations like sweating, pupil contraction, raising blood pressure & body temperature; and the result is often physical confrontation. Because anger is physiological, its intensity cannot be maintained and dissipates quickly, but smoldering anger leads to the entire cornucopia of unsavory emotions.

Defying logic, anger will encourage conflict even in the face of certain defeat, which makes the powerless dangerous; an important consideration in personal relationships and society at large, because beyond a tipping point, intimidation is no longer possible to subjugate people, so depending on the form of government, if the populous becomes angry, no amount of force will quell their uprising.