Originally from Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation

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What exactly is anger?

Anger is a primary emotion. It is common to the human condition, but animals feel anger too. It is almost always reactive, mostly to external stimuli, threats or offenses to personal dignity or respect, beliefs, emotions, or values.

In humans, anger can arise solely from internal processing and analysis of memories of past experiences. Violations of identity, individual, collective or cultural experiences easily rouse anger, resentment and, potentially, acts of retaliation.

Anger prepares physical and mental responses to danger, including prepping us for anger and aggression or violence. Anger is also a defensive signal to others to back-off, literally and figuratively. Anger is also a sign of disapproval. Anger may also be a call to action to redress grievances, social injustice, or to act for the common good.