This is my blog for the year I'll be spending in Germany doing research. I'll be poring over thousands and thousands of documents searching for an answer to why I decided to do a PhD. You can follow my musings and adventures here.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Discussion topic
Anger is merely a strategy to help us avoid sadness. Discuss.
Because anger invites retributive action. An angry person is more inclined to vindicate the sadness that led to the anger in the first place. This vindication helps to diminish the injustice that caused the sadness. Where there is less injustice, there is less reason to feel sad.
For example: My cat dies, I feel sad. I can address my sadness through non-retributive means or I can suspend it through anger. If I turn to anger I am relieved of some of the sadness because I can get even, fantasize getting even, or just eliminate the goodwill between me and the offender; by doing so, I can achieve a sense of retribution/vindication.
Because anger invites retributive action. An angry person is more inclined to vindicate the sadness that led to the anger in the first place. This vindication helps to diminish the injustice that caused the sadness. Where there is less injustice, there is less reason to feel sad.
For example: My cat dies, I feel sad. I can address my sadness through non-retributive means or I can suspend it through anger. If I turn to anger I am relieved of some of the sadness because I can get even, fantasize getting even, or just eliminate the goodwill between me and the offender; by doing so, I can achieve a sense of retribution/vindication.
2 comments:
Because anger invites retributive action. An angry person is more inclined to vindicate the sadness that led to the anger in the first place. This vindication helps to diminish the injustice that caused the sadness. Where there is less injustice, there is less reason to feel sad.
For example:
My cat dies, I feel sad.
I can address my sadness through non-retributive means or I can suspend it through anger. If I turn to anger I am relieved of some of the sadness because I can get even, fantasize getting even, or just eliminate the goodwill between me and the offender; by doing so, I can achieve a sense of retribution/vindication.
Hope Oxford is treating you well.
Because anger invites retributive action. An angry person is more inclined to vindicate the sadness that led to the anger in the first place. This vindication helps to diminish the injustice that caused the sadness. Where there is less injustice, there is less reason to feel sad.
For example:
My cat dies, I feel sad.
I can address my sadness through non-retributive means or I can suspend it through anger. If I turn to anger I am relieved of some of the sadness because I can get even, fantasize getting even, or just eliminate the goodwill between me and the offender; by doing so, I can achieve a sense of retribution/vindication.
Hope Oxford is treating you well.
Post a Comment