if you were to choose which of the two you could live without what would it be and why: anger or sadness?

Question

i'd personally would find it hard to make this choice: both are terrible things for a person to endure, but i'd go for anger- seeing as i hate arguing and fighting for the sake of it and as i'm not the type to get involved in slanging matches and whenever i say something to a person to vent my anger, and they say something back in retaliation, i feel like crap afterwards. sadness is a terrible thing to go through as well, but the thing is i don't have to feel angry or bitter about anything or anyone- if you know what i mean- its good to show a softer side to your personality, that for you to succumb to shouting and being all hotheaded. people cry tend to do so to release and let out some of that tension and anger that is inside of them because by keeping it all inside and bottling it up, you're allowing it eat away inside of you. mentally and emotionally, it can be very detrimental.

what about you, which would you prefer to live without if you were given the choice: anger or sadness?

in response to slutt, okay if that's the way you feel then so be it. but there are and have been people, such as myself who see anger and/or sadness as being destructive and negative. and unlike yourself, i've experienced both through being physically abused as a child and verbally abuse the after effects of it. plus i lived with depression for 8 years and so don't insult me or those who have posted their comments on this difficult subject, of which i find thought provoking and intelligent

Answer 1

good question. Having lived with depression for ten years and experiencing long periods of time coping with something akin to sadness, I think I could live without it given the choice.
I don't feel angry too often, to really appreciate what it's like, but there are things you can do to work off anger, channel the energy into other things, work it off, be creative, shout very loudly, eventually you can expel anger. Sadness for me is quite another issue and at times seems quite unmovable. I would like to be without it just to remember how it feels

Answer 2

I would go without sadness, definitely. Anger is a much more constructive emotion, I find. If I'm sad, I dissolve in tears into a cushion, and mope, and pine etc. If I'm angry, I smash around the house, tidying, doing little jobs I've been putting off. If I'm angry, I work harder to prove a point.

Sure there's fights and arguments; but only if other people have the same anger. So if it's just me giving up the emotion, I'll keep the anger, so I can continue to stand up for myself!

Basically, I've always been really badly affected by anger, I used to have a terrible temper. But I've learnt to control it; I channel it towards practical stuff, I vent it with general rants about stuff, but I very rarely direct it AT people. I've not yet learnt to control sadness. So I'll get rid of that.

Answer 3

You're right. Tough choice.And actually I would argue we need both to be healthy productive adults.

Personally speaking, I'd probably do without anger if I could. Simply for the fact that it's so much easier to act harshly or rash with this emotion and do so much more damage to a situation. However, I've fueled a lot of my life with anger, using it for some very focused achievements. It helps me overcome. It helps solidify my drive and conviction with things. I doubt you'd see many great sports stars, writers, actors, or other careers that are so driven by early angst in a person's life if we lived in a world without anger.

I wouldn't choose sadness because that's the emotion I gain the most insight about myself with - along with insight into situations. And of course, every coin has a flip side. This one being that sadness tends to slow me down, depress me, and generally eat away at my drive and self-motivation. It's more internalized and self-depreciating.

You know what? I think I've just changed my own mind. I want to keep anger! It's been anger that has helped me more in this life. I can do more with it. (Given it was used productively instead of tearing into someone)Thanks for the question!

Answer 4

I would rather live without anger than sadness.

Anger in most (if not all) cases are very counter productive. How many times in the past has something good come out of doing anything out of anger.

Sadness on the other hand allows us to be human, to relate to others who at one point or another experienced a loss. The most positive thing about experiencing sadness is that it heightens the feeling of joy and happiness. I imagine we would probably take joy and happiness for granted if we did not get an experience to be sad

Answer 5

I would choose sadness. Like you said being angry at somebody often leads to being sad anyway. I do however make sure that i dont stay angry for too long, that emotion usually passes within a few hours, however, sadness can last for days even weeks. Anger is also an emotion in my opinion that is directed at somebody for something they have done to you, thus giving you a reason to be angry at them, however sadness is uncontrollable and will have an effect on however you are with. Hope that answers your question. PS There is nothing better than having a good shout!!

Answer 6

Difficult one.....but I think of the two would pick anger. Anger is only ever destructive. Sadnes if we allow ourselves to feel it can be a space for creativity.....can be an area of growth in the long term. Being reflective and sad a catharsis.

Answer 7

I'd have no problem keeping sadness; I find it a necessary feeling to go through and learn from difficult situations. I'd get rid of anger, it only causes troubles with others and does not let me be reasonable.

Answer 8

Neither! Life happens, it presents difficulties and we must accept this. Anger and sadness are both healthy emotions that help us cope with the difficult things in life. I feel therefore I am! Doing without either would be like living without feelings.

I feel angry at you for asking this question and sad that you would think a numb emotionless life would be any life. They are not terrible emotions, they are positive emotions that help us deal with terrible things.

Answer 9

I think it depends on the kind of person you are... if you chose to live without anger than you are giving up making others sad. If you live without sadness then you are giving up how YOU feel and not necessarily helping anyone else.

Answer 10

I think both those emotions are very important to be stable people...most people would choose to get rid of anger...though it is important to display anger (not necessarily physical anger) otherwise we would've evolved to be without it! And the same can be said about sadness!

I think both emotions are important to have but if i had to get rid of one it would be sadness...that hurts too much...im selfish haha