Anger and using it as fuel

I was hoping some of you could offer some guidance or an opinion on something that has been troubling me if possible please?

Basically, I wanted to know what you think about using negative emotions to achieve positive things, that is, if you even believe such a thing is possible? For example, I've been weightlifting for about a year now and a lot my motivation in the weight room derives from anger; I don't NEED anger to train well, anger just helps me to train better/harder, or at least it feels that way?

Do you think it wise to operate like this or would you suggest avoiding it?

Thank you in advance,
May the force be with you... Always

I would like to direct you to the sermon I just posted the other day

https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/Weekly-Sermons-and-Live-Services/116520-new-sermons#267881

What an absolutely fantastic sermon, I'll be saving that in my notes for future reference and practising what it details diligently. Thank you for the speedy reply as well!

May the force be with you... Always

i'd say that anything that helps to get you to work out or that helps you improve your performance when you work out is good - but id also say that its likely that your anger wont be a reliable fuel and isnt always going to be as sharp as it is now

when you get your life basically under your own control and youre moving in a direction that youre happy with, IN TIME youll likely find that youre not as angry, generally

and of course anger usually comes from something going "wrong"
but what if nothing goes wrong for a few days- what if things even go really well for a few months?
do you skip the gym? do you not wiork as hard?
course not!

so id say that if youve got anger to use as fuel then use it, thats fine
my personal suggestion would be to also make a conscious effort cultivate a strong sense of long term commitment, the willingness to take on long term commitments and the willingness to work hard for whatever you want

these are traits that will -totally opposite to anger- get sharper and more powerful with time, especially as you get better and better control of your own life

Going grrrrrrr to lift and then ow!!! afterwards when your sore happens to spell grow. :pinch:

Could you get the same result by other ways.... what defines it as anger, instead of just say power? Why is it negative? I can imagine you could feel like your feeding off someone elses suffering, even though it might only be imagined by you it could be seen to promote a bad habit I guess... if that is how you generate your anger.

I've heard it said the best way to run fast is to imagine some frenzied panther chasing ya down from behind!!! But fright implies flight and so might promote injury if the foundation and form is not already there, while something like anger can be a bit slower I guess. I used to just visualize the function of the muscle and imbue that visualization with an almost electric charge type of unlimited power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3OjfK0t1XM

Anger is one side of the fight or flight response...fear/terror and anger/rage can both trigger the release of adrenaline which is good for a boost...the trick is getting the boost without the emotional response that accompanies it...or at least keeping it controlled....it's very difficult and often is more self destructive...there's a reason the body doesn't constantly release adrenaline...the strain is destructive...over time we can eventually repair the damage, usually not without lasting effects though...can it be done, yes....easier for some of us than for others (the control part in particular), should it be done, probably not...unless you're willing to pay for it in the future...everything has a cost....when you use anger/rage in particular there is always the risk of displacing the emotional aspect on some u fortunate innocent....just something to bear in mind...

I would suggest a cup of coffee, or a preworkout as fuel for exercise.

I don't know how you create emotional content in a void.

Anger just doesn't happen without context for me.

For a workout. A cup of coffee, a d some metal.

What are you angry about?

Having lifted weights and fought competitively, allow me to offer another path:

"Getting hyped or pumped is a very poor tool compared to pure discipline."

The motivational posters and sayings and 'trances' that you put yourself in can sometimes prove to be useful, but they are a very fickle thing to rely on. Some days, no amount of loud music is going to help make you want to go, and on those days, you simply must have the discipline to suck it up and embrace the bitter work. As a matter of fact, I'd even say that trying to tap into emotion for the purpose of a physical practice is simply adding another degree of potential failure to your progress. Rather than using the anger to make the lift, use confidence that your training has led you to success, visualize the success, and then succeed. It really is that simple. No about of getting pumped will ever allow you to willpower up more than your body is prepared for in a safe manner. Train smart and leave these 'tricks' by the wayside.

I am useless when i am angry , if i hold on to it i only start crying and get nothing done , so , when i get angry i just try to work through it , or just sit down waiting for it to fade away because every time i try to "use" my anger i break stuff :laugh:

Perhaps it is time to stop using emotions as a crutch... If being angry really makes you stronger, then perhaps you should learn what about anger is providing that service. Do some scientific research. I imagine it has to do with the adrenaline rush of intense present-ness. You are feeling and focusing on a task, so it provides you a true focal point for your action.

That doesn't require anger or intense emotion... it just requires being pumped and ready to go.

And, also, don't trust your intuition to tell you what emotion you're feeling. How do you know you're feeling anger in the gym? Unless you are "acting" out the emotion by picturing your ex on the punching bag... haha.

If you are feeling truly negative emotions in the gym, then some introspection on where it's coming from is necessary. Who are you mad at? What crappy things are happening in your life?

When I used to practice martial arts and play football in highschool I would find that my anger would give me great momentary strength, but if that anger became sustained I would get tunnel vision, and my technique would become sloppy. I'd be so focused on one thing, that I wouldn't be able to plan for the next move. I was able to push somebody down, but while lost in the satisfaction of knocking them down they were able to reverse the situation on me, or land more blows that I could have blocked if I had been more focused.

There might be something to using anger for short bursts if you are able to regain focus directly after, but I am unconvinced that a sustained angry fighter or athlete could be of better use than a focused opponent.

I think yours is an excellent response, Sirch Nayr.

A psychologist I heard speak years ago addressed the issue of why we often say foolish things we don't mean when we become angry. He explained that extreme anger is a component of our fight-or-flight survival mechanism, and it causes a number of physiological changes. One of those changes is re-routing blood flow to our voluntary and involuntary muscles in preparation for extreme physical exertion; that extra blood is diverted from the brain, so our thinking abilities become clouded.

That explains not only why we make regrettable statements when angry, but also why we lose clarity and focus in physical endeavors when angry as you described. Our brains just aren't working at their full capacity.

The discussion in this forum reminds me of a passage from a SWTOR book that I'm currently reading called "Fatal Alliance" which reads:

"Being a Sith was not just about feeling hatred and anger, it was finding a way to focus these feelings toward the attainment of mastery."

Anger like any emotion can be transmuted as a springboard that one can use to launch into a personal endeavor. When utilized in a constructive manner anger can produce results and get things done effectively. But, like all things it should be used in moderation because then you'll end up dependent on using the emotion of anger all the time when you want to accomplish something.

I hit the gym regularly as well and getting a spark of anger stirred up in you does help with gaining some extra strength to finish a final rep. I've learned to transmute that anger into a feeling of excitement and euphoria knowing I can push through and complete my set. So, for me, anger is just a jumpstart which leads to a well-spring of other emotions that I can use to accomplish my workout goals.

I can agree with what you are saying about that extra jolt on final reps. I'm curious if whether the results would be positive when using anger on all reps throughout a routine. I would think that using it too often would result in burning yourself out too fast. Like you said, moderation is key.

As a start i want to say that Anger can be used as fuel, as long as that doesn't turn out to be fuel for the wrong engine so to speak.

From personal experience I can tell that almost every wrong engine has had some kind of fuel over my youth and I'm not proud of that because every engine that needs fuel needs to be fueled by myself, and I gave it.

Now my present; I had my fair share of setbacks the last couple of weeks, but i noticed a difference, after a couple of days a feeling very down it felt like a new (metaphorical) engine had been found, again fuel with anger because of the things that happened but also with determination.

And now my vision for the future: I want to build around my newly found, metaphorical engine, to make a beter future and make it easier to achieve my goals which are right in front of me.

Conclusion: Yes i think anger can be used as fuel, as long as you don't fuel the wrong engine with the wrong fuel.

I've personally found that using negative emotions to achieve positive results, is like taking out a loan from a bank. Sure, it's great in the short term because it helps you to achieve some things that were otherwise out of the realm of possibility.

But eventually, the bank is going to come calling for you to pay back the loan, and you're going to have to pay it back with interest.

Even if you use negative emotions to achieve positive things, eventually you are going to become so accustomed to living and acting from a negative set of standards, that your overall personality will begin to shift to morbid attitudes and preoccupations. Again, this is speaking from personal experience.

If your goal is to get hyped up and energized, it is equally possible to achieve the same results coming from a place of positivity. There are uplifting speeches, music, videos, artwork, and attitudes which can get you just as amped up and ready to go as a source which inspires anger.

I've been able to use anger as fuel, I guess. Whenever I feel stressed or angry I go to the gym and have two hour training in Thai box.