Anger’s just intensity

[1]

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev [1]

Anger must be very beautiful because a lot of people have taken to it, just like Coca Cola! Probably more people are into anger than soft drinks. But the problem is that they have not chosen anger; they have helplessly fallen into it.

People have unconsciously chosen anger because, for many, the most intense moments in their lives are those of either pain or anger. These are the only two intensities they know.
The reason why thrillers, action movies and sports events are so popular is because people long for intensity. Remember the movie Gladiator? Watching the gladiators in ancient times, engaging in a wild sport was exciting. Even war is a sport. People want to see something intense. They don’t know how to be intense except through physical action, or through anger and pain.
The reason why drugs and sex have become rampant in today’s times is because people want to somehow experience intensity, even if for a few moments. Intensity is the only thing that man is seeking.
Anger is an enormous intensity, one that hurts you. It is an intensity that can destroy people around you and yourself. It is an intensity that can drive you to stupid action. Your attachment to anger is not to anger itself; it’s to the intensity of it. Though you know it causes damage, now and then you do tend to, or want to, get angry.
But people have also done wonderful things out of anger. A lot of people still believe genuine action will come forth only in anger. Say, we have to fight a battle to protect ourselves, our families, our country, or the world. Whichever way it is, we have to fight a war. We can fight a war without anger, but people would like to fight with anger because they do not know how else to be intense. If need be, they will even “create” anger. Only then can they do certain things which they would otherwise be incapable of doing.
So do not worry if you get angry too often. At least in anger you are becoming intense. You only have to transform this intensity into higher levels of energy where it is beautiful, not destructive.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, an internationally renowned spiritual leader, is a visionary, author, poet and speaker.