Business | Bartleby

Why you should lose your temper at work

Sometimes. And without throwing anything

Illustration of a boss with a head composed entirely of volcanic eruption, symbolizing intense anger and frustration.
Photograph: Paul Blow

Awareness days are meant to remind people of important causes and desirable behaviour. Among other things, February sees the International Day of Human Fraternity, World Day of Social Justice and—everyone’s favourite until it became a bit too commercialised—World Pulses Day. International Day of Happiness falls in March; you have to wait until November for World Kindness Day.

Anger is far too objectionable to be celebrated with a special day of its own. There is an anger-awareness week in Britain, but the emphasis is on controlling tempers, not giving in to them. Yet in the workplace, as elsewhere, anger is more ambiguous than it seems.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "Anger and management"

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