Socially, anger doesn’t have the best rap. The immediate mental image of anger is one of volatility, violence, and lack of control. A quick google search of anger reveals many of the top articles center on anger management, and reducing the impact of anger within one’s life. The current consensus seems to be that anger is a negative trait that needs to be fixed.
Evolutionarily, anger is viewed as an instinct to ward off threats, a tactic to increase social position, and a bargaining strategy for conflict resolution. Ultimately, it persisted as a trait due to its advantageous ability to advance individuals socially. So, why is anger viewed so negatively in modern society? The anger that is currently demonized is one associated with volatility and violence. It is easy to be afraid and avoidant of this type of angry outburst. However, viewing anger only through this lens is one dimensional, ignoring the evolutionary benefits potentially incurred by rage.
In her work, “A Case for Rage”, Myisha Cherry explores anger as a tool for achieving racial justice. She begins by defining anger, categorizing it into 4 types with unique characteristics. Wipe, narcissistic, and ressentiment rage carry the negative connotations of anger, with action tendencies towards delocalized blame and scapegoating. Cherry then introduces Lordean rage as a type of transformative anger, with action patterns that promote change. As such, the eradication of Lordean rage is not needed for successful emotional health. The self-help articles are no longer relevant to this type of rage.
This definition of rage, in which it is transformative rather destructive, fits more neatly into the evolutionary theory that anger is advantageous. For a trait to persist, it must benefit our biological fitness. Thus, anger must play some sort of role in personal wellbeing. I argue that Lordean rage, aimed at transforming unjust situations, ultimately promotes individual health. Further, I argue that principles Lordean rage can be used to develop a framework for antiracist talk therapy.
Following the definition of Lordean rage, Cherry delineates which populations are capable of feeling such an emotion. She aims to avoid an Aristotelian view of virtuous anger, denying the idea that the rare virtuous soul is capable of such a feeling. Instead, Cherry asserts that Lordean rage is accessible to all, and does not require moral perfectionism. She writes, “Lordean rage may require us to have moral sensitivity and moral imagination, but not necessarily moral excellence. It is within reach.” The attainability of Lordean rage comes from its ability to coexist with other, traditionally negative emotions. Cherry argues that an individual can feel wipe rage towards one circumstance, while expressing Lordean rage at another. She writes, “Both kinds of anger can coexist in me—I contain multitudes!” This allows individuals to recognize and express the spectrum of their emotions in the cultivation of Lordean rage. It avoids demonizing any peripheral emotions that may arise.
Cherry identifies this expression of emotion as instrumental in the actualization of Lordean rage. She asserts that expression is a key step in avoiding “corrupt” and destructive anger. Anger, when suppressed, can be volatile and uncomfortable. Lorde writes that anger has, “eaten clefts into my living only when it remained unspoken.” Cherry expands upon this idea, identifying how unexpressed anger leads to both physical and emotional distress.
First, Cherry identifies the emotional taxes of suppressing anger and injustice. She writes, “This all shows just how clearly self-destructive unexpressed anger is. Unexpressed anger turns into bitterness—a prolonged anger that transforms to hate.” Cherry suggests that over time, unprocessed anger can ferment into bitterness and even hate. Bitterness differs from anger in that while both are rooted in outrage, bitterness also connotes helplessness. These festering feelings have been identified by mental health professionals as toxic to one’s emotional life.
Beyond emotional distress, Cherry recognizes the physical deterioration that can occur as a result of non-verbalized anger. She writes, “Empirical research backs up this claim; repressing anger can increase stress. Since repression of emotions is also linked to the suppression of the body’s immunity system, psychologist James Pennebaker argues that those who repress their anger are vulnerable to certain illnesses.” The claim that unexpressed emotions could have physical consequences is a drastic one. However, it is in line with current research. Lisa Feldman Barreet, a neuroscientist and author, identified how emotional regulation is tied to metabolic systems. Incorrect regulation can drain bodily energy stores, leading to hormonal imbalances, and overactivation of the stress response. In short, improper emotional processing can lead to a degenerate immune system, and can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and depression.
To combat these negative emotional and physical side effects, Cherry promotes expression of one’s anger. She asserts that expression allows an individual to, “be productive in contributing to her overall health”. But how exactly does expression lead to health benefits? The ties between cathartic release of emotion, self-belief, and healing are being strengthened in modern medical discourse. The field of narrative medicine places emphasis on storytelling to inform healthing. A student of narrative medicine observed, “If there is fluid in the lungs, you drain it. If there is a story in the heart, it’s important to get that out too. It is also a medical intervention, just not one that can be easily quantified.” Included in the 6 key principles of the discipline are: personhood and embodiment, and action towards justice. Clearly, these ideals align with Cherry’s prescription of Lordean rage.
If expression is key to both actualization of Lordean rage, and health, then the ties between personal wellbeing and the fight against racial injustice become clear. Improperly managed emotions lead to both physical and emotional distress, as well as destructive anger. Lordean rage mediates anger, providing a route to both a healthier emotional life and obtaining justice. Thus, maintenance of one’s mental health is crucial to the anti-racist fight.
Mental health treatments and techniques are becoming increasingly more specialized for the subjects they address. Talk therapy in particular includes an incredible multitude of approaches. Here, I argue for using Lordean rage as a framework for establishing an antiracist lens for talk therapy.
Beyond expression, Cherry identifies solidarity and the creation of goals and plans as crucial to the actualization of Lordean rage in the fight against racial injustice. The concepts of solidarity, expression, and self belief align with the ideals of humanistic talk therapy. Humanism emphasizes self-actualization, recognition of potential, free will, and change. Humanistic therapy approaches are often used to deal with individuals suffering from anxiety and personality disorders. Symptoms felt by these patients shockingly mirror roles ascribed to minority individuals in the United states. For example, feelings of helplessness, worthlessness and self doubt are common among anxiety patients. Racial minority groups in America have reported similar assaults on their self-worth as a result of racism.
The congruence technique used in humanistic talk therapy mirrors Cherry’s idea of solidarity. Congruence is built upon the idea that a therapist accepts the patient’s experience as valid, and requires genuine interaction on the part of the therapist. It is often used to treat patients suffering from PTSD. In comparison, Cherry identifies solidarity as “[providing] the support needed to validate Lordean rage’s appropriateness. In solidaristic spaces, validation occurs by empathizing and letting others know that they are not wrong in feeling their anger.” In a therapeutic setting, solidarity could be an antiracist manifestation of congruence. If a therapist is able to share and validate an individual’s Lordean rage, they are promoting acceptance and healing for the individual who has suffered oppression.
Finally, humanistic therapy emphasizes self-belief and self-actualization for patients. Similarly, Cherry posits that Lordean rage is successful in part due to its promotion of self-trust. She writes, “Lordean rage can fuel positive action, and it does so because of its aims, perspective, and action tendencies as well as its components of eagerness, self-belief, and optimism.” The promotion of self-belief and transformation encouraged by Lordean rage mirrors that humanistic goal of actualization.
Lordean rage can serve as both a tool for personal healing and social change. The framework proposed by Cherry can be adapted into a humanistic model for antiracist therapeutic approach. In this way, Lordean rage can be fostered among individuals in the fight against racial injustice. Thus, personal health and Lordean rage are closely intertwined. The key common factor is the use of narrative as a tool for shifting destructive anger into transformative anger. Ultimately, the anti-racist movement must center the voices and health of the individuals it aims to fight for.
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