Anger can help you overcome obstacles, new research shows. Photo: Pexels / Liza Summer
The idea that a positive mindset will get you further in life is not always true. New research shows that anger may be a more effective emotion for achieving goals than constant optimism.
Stay positive, a mantra that can be found on many cards. Often intended to encourage the recipient. That wave of positivity starts with terms like toxic positivity already somewhat on the decline. That term refers to pushing away negative emotions and focusing only on the positive ones. Research now shows that it is not helpful to constantly look on the bright side of everything.
Overcoming obstacles through anger
According to new research from Texas A&M University, released this week Journal of Personality and Social Psychology popped up, it turns out that anger is actually more useful for overcoming obstacles and achieving goals. And not only because you suppress your emotions less, the processes in the brain also work differently.
In several experiments, the researchers examined students at Texas A&M University. They did this by, in some cases, showing offensive images of university students.
Better responsiveness
And that worked. The researchers found that that anger helped the students solve more puzzles afterwards. In another, particularly complex and unwinnable computer game, the researchers saw a similar result. The inability to win the game frustrated the students so much that their reactions accelerated. The other experiments also showed the advantage of anger.
The research is not a plea for outrageous anger, but it does offer a fresh counterbalance to the positivity ideal, explains lead researcher and professor Heather C. Lench. The New York Times. “For a long time, the dominant idea was that being always positive equals a fulfilling life, and that is what we should strive for,” says Lench. “But there is growing evidence that a life composed of a balanced mix of emotions is more fulfilling and positive in the long term.”
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2023-11-03 13:34:39
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