Last week, while discussing corona protests, I made a sudden remark: Anger knows no morality, or in Dutch: "Woede kent geen moraliteit". I made a note of that remark as I sensed a blog topic. Subsequently, I wondered whether the Dark side has its own version of morality. I suppose these are called vices. Late 2012, I experienced my first-ever blind rage due to an...
Anger
The positive power of negativity
18 Jan, 2022
Some time ago, I noticed a Dutch article on a 2019 book by psychologist Roy Baumeister and journalist John Tierney: The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us and How We Can Rule It (publisher). The book is recommended by psychologist Martin Seligman, a guru on positive psychology (eg, my 2015 blog). In 2014, I started writing for my blog. Those short...
Does your shadow ever leave you?
28 Oct, 2021
Our shadow is a nickname for our past and/or our reputation. Rephrasing my blog title's question results in: - Can you escape your past? (eg, guilt & shame, regret & remorse)- Can you change who and/or what you are? (eg, thief, murderer) A Google search revealed a Chinese Taoist story from an ancient book named after its author Master Zhuang Zhou. The book...
Tweedeling in de samenleving
24 Sep, 2021
Enkele dagen geleden schreef een NRC nieuwsbrief over de ontstane tweedeling in de Nederlandse samenleving. Na enig nadenken geloof ik dat die opmerking inderdaad (nog) een voorbeeld is van een fundamentele verandering in de maatschappij van trialisme (de "all-inclusive" samenleving) naar dualisme (de "haves" versus de "have nots" c.q. winners vs losers). De...
Is anger a sign of guilt or innocence?
10 Sep, 2021
Early September, I noticed a very interesting British Psychological Society (BPS) article: We Think Anger Is A Sign Of Guilt — But It May Actually Be A Better Sign Of Innocence. Actually, this question has been on my mind, once in a while. We may view others as guilty when they display anger, while we view ourselves as innocent when we are angered (eg, by a false...
Anger management (2)
23 Feb, 2021
Lately, I've been wondering how to channel my anger. I know the (positive) solution: writing about it. There are other - negative - solutions, like resorting to violence. These solutions don't match my character. More and more, I'm understanding the link between (perceived) injustice and violence. Hence, a follow-up on my 2016 blog on anger management. My...
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