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> they're completely entitled to feel that way, if that helps them cope

This is actually not a productive way to cope and it’s good advice to tell people not to cope this way.



Anger at the Kafkaesque ministrations of the neo-feudal lords is a valid emotion. Let's not normalize the passive, defeatist acceptance of abusive corporate culture. One doesn't need to be angry, but that's a privilege of someone who isn't living paycheck to paycheck.


"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."


"Anger is a gift"


Life is a gift. Death is a gift. Anger is a gift. Sadness is a gift.

It all comes and it all goes. Let it come. Let it go.


> Anger at the Kafkaesque ministrations of the neo-feudal lords is a valid emotion.

I mean, yes. And it'll make Mr Angry feel worse, make the people around him feel worse, and make the world worse. So the recommendation is don't do that. If someone is going to do something productive after being sacked, learning to do it out of a place of love is a skill well worth picking up. Makes the world better and all that.


I think this is a bit of a shallow read on what anger is – one can rightfully feel angry at an injustice and use that motivation to effect positive change.

I also prefer—on a personal level—to set anger aside. But anger is probably one of the strongest forces driving individuals to "make the world better".


> But anger is probably one of the strongest forces driving individuals to "make the world better".

Are you thinking of an instance? Anger typically locks in the status-quo by causing people to fight each other. Greed on the other hand has pushed us from farming monkeys into modern society with a material existence that was hitherto unthinkably comfortable. Harnessing greed created and powers the modern engine of wealth creation. And greed works best when people are thoughtful, patient, kind and calm.

Typically anger just makes people do things that are hasty and stupid. I'm not thinking of situations where I've seen it get much done. It isn't an emotion that can power long term, strategic plans - or at least not good ones. Tends to burn out or be destructive.


Greed makes people do things that are hasty and stupid. Love makes people do things that are hasty and stupid. ... All emotions are by definition impulsive and irrational and thus hasty and stupid. You are cherry picking.


> All emotions are by definition impulsive and irrational and thus hasty and stupid

That isn't true. Emotions are usually rational, and may or may not be swift. Consider greed - it can be harnessed to power long-term plans, as can be seen when looking at the economy. And that is hardly cherry picking, we're surrounded by examples and it is foundational to the theory of why it all works. Consider someone saving up money to buy a fancy car. That might be a decision powered by love; is probably powered by greed and it seems a stretch to say people would do that because they were really angry with the world.

Anger doesn't have the same staying power as positive emotions, or more neutral emotions like greed.

> You are cherry picking.

You may note I'm explicitly asking Mr. matthewmacleod to cherry pick.


Maybe the bigger lesson is that, beyond family and a few close friends, the world doesn't generally care how you feel?

You way of saying it is nicer, granted.


Is it not? Honestly, it wouldn’t help, but ranting at the impersonal machine that is Google (or big tech) would certainly make me feel better.




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