I AM ANGRY AT ANGER!

The other day I listened to a reporter on CNBC, Rick Santelli rant about the injustice of Obama’s mortgage rescue plan. It wasn’t what he said that bothered me, although I disagree with him. It was the way he said it. He was filled with anger. Unfortunately, the airwaves, especially cable channel is filled with angry people and angry commentary. I don’t care if it’s a news program, a sports channel or a cooking show, we are bombarded with angry people shouting out their opinions and views. I don’t remember Walter Cronkite, Jim McKay or Julia Child behaving with such a lack of decorum. They didn’t yell. They never seemed angry. They spoke to us.

I subsequently realized that ranting media personalities are not behaving any differently than most of us. Unfortunately, angry debate has become part of our culture. I was recently engaged in discussion about the merits of President Obama’s rescue plan and his political philosophy. Most of the men had very strong views about both and as the discussion went on the greater the sense of anger I felt from within the group. It was so palpable I eventually asked members of the group why they were so angry. They looked at me as if to say, “What are you talking about?” Then the other night I had a discussion with a friend about religion and I became angry for crying out loud. On the way home I asked myself why I became angry. I concluded it was the result of my inability to articulate a well crafted argument for my faith. My anger was misdirected or as a psychologist would say my anger was projected on to another person. Because I was angry at my anger I decided to become a better defender of my faith as well as other opinions, views and insight I hold dear. You see, I believe anger and shouting have replaced logic as a means of influencing others to our way of thinking. We have become experts at angrily shouting out little sound bites mirroring the antics of the cable TV personalities we watch rather than patiently and rationally explaining our point of view. Though, we may have to wait for the noise from others to die down first.

How about you? Do you find yourself losing it when you are not heard or not understood? If so, consider a crafting a more thoughtful discourse. And when someone is ranting and raving pat them on the head and ask them why they are angry. I takes the steam out of them and makes it more likely your point of view will be heard, Now, if only I could make the airwaves two way and deal with some of the more obnoxious cable personalities! Just a thought.