“Truth has obligations that opinions do not.” - Megan Garber
In the realm of emotions, anger has a bad reputation. It is considered one of four primary negative emotions, which include sadness, fear, and disgust. In the arena of health and well-being, an emotion is considered negative if it creates disruption in our moods or leads to chronic stress, especially over a long period of time. Anger seems to hold a particularly toxic status, due not only to its potential for physical harm, but its long-standing association with heart disease. For a long time, research has reported that those who display more frequent expressions of anger were on the straight path to a heart attack. As we learn more about the role emotions play in cardiovascular disease, our thinking about anger and heart health is starting to shift. Could it be that anger doesn’t harm but, instead, plays a role in keeping the heart healthy?
Although it is hard to infer the emotional life of animals, it seems we aren’t the only species that get mad at each other. We know that aggression exists in nature, but it is unusual for animals to throw things at members of their own species, especially objects that have been gathered and held for the sole purpose of projecting them at each other. When it does happen, it is used as an unequivocal signal that a particular social order has been violated or a boundary has been crossed. Only a few species exhibit this behavior, including elephants, chimpanzees, mongooses, dolphins, and, of course, humans. Scientists have recently added a newcomer to the list—a species of octopus known as Octopus tetricus, otherwise known as the gloomy octopus. Normally quite shy and antisocial, these cephalopods gather in Jervis Bay, Australia during breeding season, attracted to its food-rich waters that offer an excellent habitat for denning. Recent studies of these creatures find that they make for fairly prickly and pugnacious neighbors.
Jervis Bay is a busy place during breeding season, earning a reputation as “Octopolis” for its high density of octopus residents. With space at a premium, dens are right next to each other, which violates the gloomy octopus’s need for isolation. Upon analyzing more than 24 hours of underwater video, scientists recorded 102 instances of Octopus tetricus tossing algae, silt, and shells with a good amount of force—hard to do while underwater—sometimes hitting other octopuses. The more irritation the octopuses showed, the more aggressive their throws and the more likely they were to hit each other. They also seemed to select projectiles for specific situations, throwing shells at their neighbors when they were mad and silt as a warning sign to back off, while saving general debris for invasive research cameras. Most of the aggression was sparked by issues of boundaries and personal space. Their irritation was obvious: when neighboring gloomies got too close or when females were annoyed with a male suitor, they turned a dark color before throwing something with an incredible amount of force.
There are situations in which chucking shells and silt at someone might seem like a good idea, but most of us avoid physical expressions of anger. We learn early in life that throwing things at others when we are mad usually has unpleasant social consequences, but studies have shown that such explosive expressions of anger do not increase our risk of heart disease. Interestingly, people who habitually express anger when provoked by others have lower average blood pressures than those who habitually ignore or deny such feelings. In high stress situations, an ability to express anger has been found to be protective against high blood pressure, whereas blood pressures were highest in those who ignored, suppressed, or denied their anger.
Emotions are involuntary, arising in response to either real or imagined events. They act as messengers by informing us about our experience of the world around us. As such, they can be excellent guides, providing insight into our needs, desires, and personal boundaries, provided we are willing to listen. Anger is part of a healthy cardiovascular response that arises in response to a stressful event, part of the “fight or flight” reaction that is designed to keep us safe. Anger can help us become more resilient; if we are exposed to that same or a similar stressor in the future, our emotional response will not be as strong, as we’ll have created a strategy to avoid or get around the stressor. Think of the anger you might feel upon discovering your wallet was stolen while sightseeing in a busy city. Once your anger subsides, a cooler head helps you become more vigilant about your personal belongings to avoid a similar situation in the future.
Research shows that the type of anger that is toxic to the cardiovascular system is not the quick flash of aggression or irritation that sparks and then fizzles, but the kind that simmers—what is referred to as hostility. Although all hostility increases our risk for cardiovascular disease, research shows that one type in particular—cynical hostility--is significantly more predictive of cardiovascular disease, posing the greatest risk to our heart. What makes cynical hostility so toxic is that it is tied to deeply held thinking patterns which can shift anger into hyper-drive. Cynical thinking patterns are breeding grounds for hostility and interfere with our ability to adapt to stressors, putting increasing strain on our cardiovascular system in both the short term and over a lifetime.
American culture is infused with cynicism--the belief that most people cannot be trusted as they are morally bankrupt and motivated by self-interests. Modern day cynicism has come a long way from its origins when it was a philosophical movement, formulated by ancient Greeks who were rebelling against convention. Ancient Cynics encouraged followers to question dogma and rigorously examine one’s assumptions about the world. Whereas the philosophical roots of cynicism supported a detached, unemotional approach to thinking about what was right or wrong until it was examined thoroughly, our modern day cynicism is simply a stubborn psychological stance that lacks moral reflection or intellectual persuasion. Today’s cynics reject anything that challenges their world view as being “stupid” or “wrong” without engaging in the rigors of impartial consideration or deep reflection. Our current form of cynicism is deeply rooted in mistrust, suspicion, and anger, making it the perfect breeding ground for hostility.
What starts out as a smirking outlook on life in one’s youth—showing up as a sarcastic wit or biting sense of humor—can morph into disease later in life. Studies have shown that young adults who score high in cynicism are five times more likely to show signs of cardiovascular disease and depression in their forties. High levels of cynicism are associated with poorer health habits and significantly higher rates of heart disease, all of which lead to shorter lifespans. Importantly, the mindset of modern day cynicism breeds an attitude of disrespect toward others, which in turn makes others treat them disrespectfully and makes isolation more likely. This creates a self-fulfilling feedback loop that only further hardens a misanthrope’s world view that life is separated into “us” and “them”. Not surprisingly, studies show that those who express high levels of cynical hostility are also more socially isolated, which is a known risk for heart disease.
All of us express cynicism from time to time; we operate from this mindset more frequently than we realize. It is easy to spot a cynical attitude in others but, since only a small portion of our brain cells go to evaluating our own behavior, it is much harder to see it in ourselves. We’d all be wiser if we paused to truly listen to the things we say, asking ourselves, “Is that true or is it just my opinion?” and, “How do I know it is true?”. The difference between an opinion and the truth is frequently hard to identify in our own thinking patterns, and it is a distinction that becomes quite clouded when emotions are thrown into the mix. Studies show that, when under stress, we are hyper-focused on evaluating the environment for threats, which makes cynicism more likely to show up when we are angry or fearful. This should come as no surprise as we’ve all had times when, given the right circumstances, we turned into hostile jerks.
While hurling shells and silt at each other is not recommended in our world, the gloomy octopus can teach us a thing or two about anger. For them, it is a brief, measured, and purposeful reaction with a clear intention. Throwing shells sends a clear message that keeps the breeding octopus safe and makes offspring more likely. What is true for the angry gloomy is true for the role of anger in humans. Suppressing anger is not healthy for the heart, nor is stewing in a toxic brew of suspiciousness and cynical beliefs. Anger is an essential part of life, an evolutionary adaptation that keeps us safe from current threats by triggering flight or fight, while helping us identify future threats by learning from our experiences. It is an uncomfortable emotion, but anger’s presence can illuminate our needs and beliefs, provided we aren’t too quick to try to smother it or push it away. We are wise to embrace this emotion, holding it briefly and with great care, for the health of our heart.
Comments