Dealing With Anger

* The Bobbitt and Menendez brothers cases have a common denominator, anger. None of them knew how to properly deal with their anger. Anger is a reaction to feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, not being heard, being discounted, used, abused, etc. If one is verbally attacked, it is better to say, “I feel that I am being attacked by you,” rather than “you dumb S.O.B., you can’t talk to me that way.” The latter cuts off communication in a hostile fashion, the former opens the door for discussion.

My point is that many parents do not know how to deal with their anger and bring up angry children who can learn to steal and murder, and have destroyed people and nations in their anger.

Psychiatrist, psychologist and human behaviorists do have the technology to understand and educate the populace, yet they are ignored. I would highly recommend, if we are to survive as a civilization, that our government set up a department of human behavior, so that our populace can become better educated in dealing with their destructive feelings. It is better to start teaching about human behavior in kindergarten rather than in the penitentiary.

DAVID HERTZ MD

Tarzana