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Why do we get so enraged?

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D: So the other day I'm driving to the store and this jerk cuts me off and doesn't apologize or anything. I was so angry, Yaël, I wanted to leap out of my car and punch him in the face.

Y: Why were you so mad, Don?

D: Because...because...I guess because it was rude. But I don't know why I became SO enraged.

Y: It's because our brains evolved to be extremely aware of threats and to react when a true threat emerges. The brain circuits that scan for and evaluate threats are known as the hypothalamic attack region.

D: I guess that makes sense. Early humans living on the African savannah had to be vigilant against predators, and be ready to react to the threat of being attacked and eaten.

Y: Right. And although we're no longer in danger of being eaten by lions, our brains are still wired like they were 100,000 years ago. So we're prone to extreme reactions even when the threat doesn't actually pose much danger. For example, when you got cut off, it triggered your primitive threat detection response in all the classic ways. The other car invaded your territory, triggering you to defend it. And the offending car broke the rules of the road, triggering an angry response when organization is violated.

D: Interesting. Can I control my anger?

Y: Sometimes. If you recognize what's happening and are able to identify the triggers, you may be able to rationalize the situation and dispel your rage.

Three kids in their pjs, looking at the camera and making angry faces

Our brains evolved to be extremely aware of threats and to react when a true threat emerges. (Damien Walmsley / flickr)

What makes you angry? Maybe it's when you get cut off by some jerk while driving to the store, and they don't even apologize. You might get so mad, you want to leap out of the car and punch that person in the face!

But when you think about it later, why were you so mad, exactly? Sure, that other person was rude. But why did you become so enraged?

It's because our brains evolved to be extremely aware of threats and to react when a true threat emerges. The brain circuits that scan for and evaluate threats are known as the hypothalamic attack region.

Early humans living on the African savannah had to be vigilant against predators, and be ready to react to the threat of being attacked and eaten. And although we're no longer in danger of being eaten by lions, our brains are still wired like they were 100,000 years ago. So we're prone to extreme reactions even when the threat doesn't actually pose much danger.

For example, when you got cut off, it triggered your primitive threat detection response in all the classic ways. The other car invaded your territory, triggering you to defend it. And the offending car broke the rules of the road, triggering an angry response when organization is violated.

Sometimes you can control this anger, too. If you recognize what's happening and are able to identify the triggers, you may be able to rationalize the situation and dispel your rage.

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