FREE online courses on Handling Our Own Aggression & Anger - Level IV Cognitive processes involved in reducing aggression - Challenge your irrational ideas

 

Anger-generating irrational ideas or beliefs come in various forms: your own impossible, perfectionistic standards make it impossible for anyone to please you; you feel a person is despicable when he/she lies about you or deceives you; you believe that others make you mad but really you are responsible for what you feel; it may seem perfectly clear to you that some peoples' behavior is immoral and disgusting; you feel sure that certain kinds of people or groups are causing serious trouble for all the good people in the community and these people should be severely punished. All these ideas may generate anger; look for the "shoulds" and the "ain't it awfuls" in your thinking. They are your ideas causing your anger.

 

Another viewpoint is that you can get a just and reasonable resolution of a conflict without hating, hurting, or humiliating anyone. Cognitive and Rational-Emotive therapy provide a way to change these anger-producing beliefs into more rational ideas and solutions.