On Anger

I almost lost my temper yesterday.

A seemingly typical workday: I was working on one of the series of tasks which I had allocated for the day when all of sudden I was presented with a situation which demanded all of my attention - because it was a management priority.

The immediate reaction in my system was that of anger. My entire day had just been rearranged beyond my control. When I showed my list of 351 other tasks and asked how this would fit in with the schedule, I was essentially told that it was really my problem, as this suddenly became the new priority.

My initial reaction? An overwhelming sense of anger.

I managed to control my anger to the point that I didn't say anything too incriminating. Still, it burned in my gut for the rest of the day.

The thing that suprised me the most the intensity of the anger that I found in my self, that aroused itself to quickly, that hovered with me for the day. I usually believe myself to be someone who controls his anger better than that, who has mastered his anger, who is more mature about things that he is.

I suppose the reality of the experience is to remind me that we are never too far above what we battle against to be beyond it.