Using Anger as Fuel for Change
published April 20, 2026
Photo by Guido Jansen on Unsplash
by Catharine Hannay, founder of MindfulTeachers.org
Many of us have a tendency to either repress anger or release it in unhealthy and ineffective ways.
Unexpressed anger can lead to a host of problems, including:
Mental Health Issues, including depression; and
Physical Health Issues, includinghigh blood pressure, muscle tension, and stomach aches;
And inappropriately expressed anger comes with its own share of issues:
Misdirected Anger: Taking it out on someone else (a child rather than a boss, for example) is unfair and confusing to the person on the receiving end.
Passive-Aggressive ‘Niceness’: This might mean agreeing to do something but then complaining about it, or making snarky remarks behind the person’s back, or withdrawing from the relationship with no explanation.
‘Exploding Doormat’: Some of us have a tendency to put up with much too much for much too long, then snap when we can’t take it anymore. The other person doesn’t understand why we’re (to their mind) overreacting, since they may not understand the extent that we’ve been trying to ‘keep the peace’ and be accommodating.
Misdirection, passive aggression, or ‘losing it’ can damage relationships, and they don’t do anything to address the cause of our anger.
Whether dealing with personal injustice or societal injustice, nothing can change if we don’t do anything about it. As Martha Beck says, “Virtually every step our species has taken toward a better society happened because someone used a tankful of anger to move the world.” The challenge is using that fuel to spark positive change rather than letting it consume us or destroy someone else.
Suppressing anger is like “hiding enriched uranium under your mattress (you won’t see it, but it may slowly kill you),” and uncontrolled expression of anger is like “slopping gasoline all over your car instead of putting it in the tank.” (“All the Rage: How Anger Can Work in Your Favor,” Oprah Magazine)
Pema Chodron was shocked when she read about what happened at a peace march:
“When one group was coming back from the march, some pro-war people started cutting them off and blocking them; everyone started screaming and hitting each other. I thought, ‘Wait a minute, is there something wrong with this picture? Clobbering someone with your peace sign?”
Practicing Peace in Times of War, p. 20-21
Conclusion
“Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t just urge people to love their oppressors, he also urged them to boycott the bus company.”
Marianne Williamson, Tears to Triumph: The Spiritual Journey from Suffering to Enlightenment
Whether it’s a personal issue or a societal issue, the key in expressing anger is to find the right balance between compassion and justice. This can be quite challenging, but anger, like anything powerful, can change the world in either negative or positive ways. The more thoughtfully we direct our anger, the better the chances of a positive result.
Related Posts
There are many more resources here at MindfulTeachers.org on self-awareness and compassion, including the following posts: