Tears Not Just Blinding Socially Inappropriate

I have frequently been asked, "Why are you so angr?" I now know the answer. If I wasn't angry I'd be crying all the time. Who wants that? You can't have a conversation with someone who is blubberig, blowing their nose, and gasping for breath. People in that condition can't form words. They can't converse. But an angry person can, and they use those words to lash out and start arguments. An argument is a type of conversation -- crying is not.

The real reason being angry is a better social choice than being a crier is that anger doesn't seem so self-involved. If I yell at you, you feel like you're being attacked which makes you feel like part of the conversation. You then can yell back at me if you want or react anyway you want to because my feelings don't matter because I haven't taken your feelings into consideration. However, if I were to sit at the pizza place and cry into my slice,well, you wouldn't know exactly what to do. Should you console me? What if I don't want to be consoled? Should you ignore me? Perhaps, ignoring is insensitive. You feel awkward and put out because all of your thoughts are turned toward the cry baby. That's pretty inconsiderate and egocentric if you ask me.

So, if you're feeling blue and want to cry but you're out in public just morph the impulse to cry into an impulse to lash out, insult, and start irrational political debates your friends will thank you for it.

Comments

Highlights