On this week's episode of our How To series, I discuss the vital importance of getting angry on behalf of others. One of the hardest parts of mind body suffering comes in the form of others not being 'in it' with us. But whether we are talking about mind body suffering or any other kind, it is often the best way to show that you care by getting in touch with anger towards the people and experiences that hurt the person about whom you care.
One way I look through this lens is to help people recognize that being angry is often judged harshly, rather than seen as a sign of how much we care. I distinguish between bringing that anger to the external situation and simply expressing that form of empathy to the sufferer.
In the long run, we need to get more comfortable, as a society, with anger and, in addition, we have a chance to recognize how to channel this anger towards good. If you can let people know that you are angry on their behalf, they will feel better cared for and, on top of it, if you receive this kind of care from others, you'll feel a level of empathy you hadn't known was possible. This key skill helps conquer doubt about the legitimacy of our own suffering.
