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Don't Get Mad, Get Better

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Tap into your anger to win the girl, take control or even to grow stronger. Psychologists have classified anger as one of the “negative” emotions, one that's closer to fear and sadness than joy and hope. But US researchers report that anger can be seductive and pleasurable. It energises and motivates action, triggers optimism about the odds of achieving a goal, and even seems to tap some of the same brain regions associated with happiness. It’s possible, the researchers suggest, that the “highly pleasurable exhilaration associated with anger” may give some men a rush similar to one provided by an addictive drug.

Win The Girl
All’s fair in love and war – and women are flattered by men who go at each other throats over them. But it’s not just a matter of women enjoying the attention, according to a 2010 study in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. Over the years, social psychologists have attempted to identify traits that men and women seek in an ideal romantic partner. The consensus has long been that both sexes prefer two traits – kindness and trustworthiness – above all others. But kindness and trustworthiness to whom? When women were asked this follow-up, they showed a clear preference that prospective mates be kind to them, their friends and their family members. But with respect to people outside this close network, they preferred men who understood that charity began at home: guys who dominated other men instead of treating them kindly. “In other words,” sums up Rose McDermott, PhD, an evolutionary psychologist at Brown University in the US, “women like men who are nice to them and their inner circle – but are pricks to everyone else.” 

Use It To Get Your Way
Of course, even the most timid man can turn suddenly Hulkish in anger, the anabolic steroid of human emotions. A flash of rage turbocharges a man’s voice and his overall formidability alike, says neuropsychologist Michael Potegal. “There’s no question,” he adds, “that individuals who experience anger, and the people who watch them, do tend to attribute power and control to the angry man.”
 
Getting mad, of course, is not without its associated downsides, from elevated cardiovascular risk to irrational decisions that can’t always be undone. But the payoff, says Potegal, is that hot-headedness is intimidating, increasing an angry man’s odds of getting his way in some situations.
 
Grow Stronger
"Use your anger-driven adrenaline spike to push your muscles to new levels," says US fitness trainer Mike Huff. “Anger is a form of energy, so release it by doing something physical,” says clinical psychologist Dr William Pollock, author of Real Boys. Exercise has the added benefit of  making you more resilient to anger. “The fitter and healthier you are, the better you’re able to deal with all kinds of stress,” says psychology professor Linda Musante.

 



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