Does letting it out make anger smaller?
· Source: Bushman, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2002
You've probably heard that it's healthy to let anger out. Hit a pillow, scream, blow off steam. In 2002, a psychologist tested it. Angry people hit a punching bag while thinking about the person who made them angry. They didn't calm down. They got angrier, and more aggressive. The calmest people were the ones who did nothing at all for a few minutes. So next time, name the feeling in one word, and give it a little time before you act.