Displays of anger can work in your favor only if they strengthen your position going forward. I’ve seen football players kick over water coolers and tennis players obliterate their rackets in full display to fans and then come back and play better. The anger serves as a vehicle for catharsis freeing the individual from the situation considered responsible (rightly or wrongly) for its emergence in the first place.

angry_tennis_playerAnger displays that breed brooding and loathing and subsequently weaken your position are self-defeating. In this scenario there’s still catharsis, but instead of freeing you up to move more productively forward, the anger holds you captive, weakening your position.

Anger that propels you to take that next right step to overcome or change what’s troubling you or concerning you is your own personal cheerleader.