One topic -- or rather, when you start looking into it, sprawling network of nodes and notes -- I've long been interested in. . . and by "long" I mean most of my life. . . is Anger. I'll admit that my interest was much more of a predominantly practical rather than detachedly speculative nature from the very start. As far back as I can remember, I've struggled with and been puzzled by, suffered from others' and indulged in my own states or spells of anger. I've held grudges, been righteously indignant, choked anger down, attempted to dispel or quell it with reasoning, by acts of forgiveness -- sometimes even did feel it less-than-expectedly ebb away or immediately dissolve. I've fought with my fists and feet -- though thankfully not for a long time -- nursed and nourished silent resentments until the moment to strike back, shouted vile things, ran off in a rage, sometimes even -- as I got to understand anger's contours and lines of force both in general and in myself -- removed myself from situations.
To employ a distinction made first (as far as I know), by the great Christian Existentialist philosopher
Gabriel Marcel, for me the topic of anger as such is not a
problem, but rather a
mystery.
