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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Anger Management for Dummies summary
Charles H. Elliott & Laura L. Smith
Your One-Stop Guide to Anger Management
13 mins
Brief summary
Anger Management for Dummies by Charles H. Elliott and Laura L. Smith offers practical guidance for managing anger. With clear and simple strategies, it explains how to recognize the signs of aggression, cope with frustration, and communicate effectively.
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Anger Management for Dummies
Summary of 6 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 6
Anger can be a curse or a blessing depending on how you use it.
Everybody knows how much damage anger can do. After all, it’s a powerful emotion, and if you don’t know how to control it, your anger can end up hurting you and those around you.
When under the influence of an angry outburst, people can do things they wouldn’t normally do; they might drive like a maniac, hit a loved one or destroy the property of another person. But beyond that, people who are easily upset and prone to violent outbursts are difficult to relax around since they might pounce at any moment.
Nobody wants to be that person, but too many people end up yelling at their partners or some other innocent person because they’ve suppressed all the rage they feel against, say, their bully of a boss.
And it’s not just other people who suffer from your passionate fits. Getting too wound up too often can actually hurt your health. For instance, a perpetual state of anger can produce ulcers and lead to high blood pressure.
So, rage can be a destructive force, but if you know how to harness it, it can also fuel many constructive pursuits. For example, you might be scared to leave a toxic relationship because you’re unsure about your ability to survive on your own. But one day, you grow so sick of your situation that your anger becomes stronger than your fear and all of a sudden you’re walking out the door.
It’s in moments like these that fury is fueling your action, but in a way that’s helpful – not hurtful.
Righteous rage has even led people to productively transform their communities. Just take Nelson Mandela, who, enraged by the racial injustice he witnessed in his lifetime, harnessed his emotions to start a powerful movement against the racist, apartheid regime of South Africa.
You can be like Mandela, too. Use your anger to make your world a better place in which to live.
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What is Anger Management for Dummies about?
Anger Management for Dummies (2015) is a guide to dealing with your inner irascibility. These blinks will give you the tools you need to understand and – more importantly – master your anger. You’ll learn methods for dissolving stress, dealing with provocations and even stopping temper tantrums in their tracks.
Best quote from Anger Management for Dummies
In all these cases, the angry people attribute their reactions to what happened to them. They take no responsibility.
—Charles H. Elliott & Laura L. Smith
Who should read Anger Management for Dummies?
- Anyone who feels chronically on edge
- People who suffer from high blood pressure and wonder whether suppressed rage could be the cause
- People searching for ways to control their anger
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