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Mental
Anger and Frustration
Frustration is the feeling of having a goal blocked, and anger is a strong response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat.
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The idea
Frustration is a common emotional response to opposition. It arises when something seems to block a person's will or goal, and it tends to grow when a goal is denied. Internal frustration comes from inside, such as struggling to reach personal goals, lacking confidence, or having two goals that conflict. External frustration comes from conditions outside a person's control, such as a roadblock in your way, a difficult task, or the feeling of wasting time.
Anger is an intense emotional state: a strong, uncomfortable response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. Its extreme counterpart is called wrath. An angry person often has a faster heart rate, higher blood pressure and more of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. Some experts see anger as part of the fight-or-flight response. Anger shows in body language and on the face, from eyebrows angled inward to a full frown.
The two feelings are closely linked. A common response to frustration is a tendency toward aggression, although frustration can also push people to try harder. Modern psychologists see anger as a normal emotion that almost everyone feels at times, and one that can help with survival and cooperation. Uncontrolled anger, though, can harm health and relationships, and it makes people worse at judging a situation fairly. Psychologists also warn that bottling anger up can be harmful.
Check yourself
Question 1 of 2
Which of these is an example of external frustration?
Composition
what it's made of
- Blocked goals — Frustration arises when something seems to stand in the way of a goal.
- Internal frustration — Frustration from within, such as a lack of confidence or two goals that conflict.
- External frustration — Frustration from outside conditions, such as a difficult task or a physical roadblock.
- Body response — A faster heart rate, higher blood pressure and more adrenaline and noradrenaline.
- Expression — Facial expressions, body language and sometimes aggression.
Connection
how it relates
Under Emotions and Feelings
Change
how and why it evolves
- Past
- Dealing with anger has been written about since the times of the earliest philosophers, many of whom warned against sudden, uncontrolled fits of anger.
- Now
- Modern psychologists view anger as a normal emotion with value for survival and cooperation, and they also point out the possible ill effects of suppressing it.
- Next
- Research will likely keep refining ways to handle anger without bottling it up, such as noticing early body signals and choosing calmer responses.