Good For You


Students in New Jersey are angry and many participated in a statewide walkout to protest cuts brought about by Governor Christie’s cuts in school funding. Organized through a Facebook page, over 14,000 in number indicated they may participate in the event. While students from individual schools and districts have mounted protests, this would be the first statewide call to action.

Anger can be good for you, and good for the world. People get angry at the way things are, get creative, get active, and work towards making a change…that’s good anger.

Aristotle, the Greek philosopher and teacher, wrote, “The man who is angry at the right things and with the right people, and further, as he ought, when he ought, and as long as he ought, is praised….One would be a fool not to get angry” The question of how, when, with whom, and for how long is a subjective matter, but students expressing anger over the serious issues that directly impact their lives is praiseworthy, and probably healthy.

Long term anger, violent anger, abusive anger, or a terminally angry outlook on life is bad for you, but a 2005 study at Carnegie Mellon University found that anger can be a good reaction to stress. Researchers recorded people’s blood pressure, pulse and secretion of a high-stress hormone called cortisol, while placed in situations to evoke stress, fear, anger. Those who chose anger over fear had lower spikes of the hormone which can contribute to diabetes and heart disease.