Anger is Never Justified
In fact, no negative emotion is ever justified.
Why?
Because our emotions are based on our interpretation of events, not of the events themselves.
Everything that happens in the world is neutral. That’s not a judgment – it’s simple a statement of fact. As Shakespeare’s protagonist says in Act II Scene 2 of Hamlet, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Likewise, in one of the early ACIM workbook lessons, we read, “Nothing I see means anything.”
Stuff happens.
We then interpret what happens and give it meaning. We base our judgments on our sense of right and wrong, what we’ve been taught, and our past personal history.
Again, quoting an early ACIM workbook lesson, “I have given [everything] all the meaning it has for me.”
From the ego’s perspective, we believe the reason we are having a negative reaction is because of what happened. In other words, the event caused our emotions.
But it doesn’t work that way. We always choose our emotions – they are never thrust on us. Thus in every situation, it’s totally up to us on how we want to see it.
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