Don’t Overlook the Benefits of Pure Anger

The point made in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad Men’s World” (June 7) that anger is the worst thing for men does not do justice to the expression of this emotion. While I agree that prolonged outrage or animosity is detrimental to one’s health, this is not anger in its pure form.

Pure anger is a five-minute event that is uttered not to change anyone, but for the sole purpose of expression. Anything beyond that time becomes merely an offshoot of anger, such as resentment, hostility, frustration or disgust. All of these expressions are endless and mostly insatiable, and that is what creates the health hazard.

However, undiluted anger is an important emotional release for men if treated as a five-minute event. In addition, from this perspective, we begin to realize that what we are angry at is merely being exposed to seeing ourselves.

In contrast, if we make all anger bad, we will lose the positive benefits. Then the danger is that we will have more repressed men than ever with all the resulting consequences.

--BRUCE DERMAN

Clinical psychologist,

Woodland Hills