Key Takeaways
1. Anger is self-created, not caused by external events
"You—y-o-u—normally anger yourself. You do so by creating IBs about others' 'unfair' and 'unjust' behaviors."
Self-responsibility is key. Anger doesn't arise automatically from external events, but from our interpretations and beliefs about those events. This fundamental REBT principle shifts the locus of control inward, empowering individuals to change their emotional responses.
Beliefs mediate between events and emotions. When faced with adversity (A), our beliefs (B) about the situation determine our emotional consequences (C). By recognizing this ABC model, we can intervene at the belief level to alter our anger response.
Common anger-producing beliefs:
- "This should not be happening"
- "I can't stand it"
- "They are awful people for treating me this way"
- "I must be treated fairly at all times"
2. Identify and challenge irrational beliefs fueling anger
"Cherchez le should, cherchez le must! Look for the should, look for the must!"
Detect demandingness. Anger often stems from rigid, absolutistic thinking patterns characterized by "shoulds," "musts," and "oughts." These inflexible demands set us up for frustration and rage when reality inevitably fails to meet our expectations.
Question the validity of these beliefs. Once identified, irrational beliefs can be challenged through a process of logical disputation. Ask yourself:
- Is this belief based on fact?
- Is it helping me achieve my goals?
- Where is the evidence that things "must" be a certain way?
Common irrational beliefs to dispute:
- Awfulizing: "It's terrible when I don't get my way"
- Low frustration tolerance: "I can't stand it when people treat me unfairly"
- Global rating: "He's a complete jerk for doing that"
3. Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy negative emotions
"REBT doesn't attempt to make you 'rational' in the sense of ridding you of all your feelings. Not at all!"
Emotions serve a purpose. REBT recognizes that negative emotions can be adaptive. The goal isn't to eliminate all negative feelings, but to transform unhealthy, debilitating emotions into healthy, motivating ones.
Healthy vs. unhealthy negativity. Healthy negative emotions like disappointment, concern, and regret help us navigate life's challenges constructively. Unhealthy emotions like rage, anxiety, and depression tend to be self-defeating and interfere with problem-solving.
Comparison of healthy vs. unhealthy negative emotions:
- Annoyance vs. Rage
- Concern vs. Anxiety
- Sadness vs. Depression
- Regret vs. Guilt
4. Practice cognitive restructuring to change anger-producing thoughts
"Only with continual practice will you consistently uproot your IBs and, even then, never for all time to come."
Actively dispute irrational beliefs. Cognitive restructuring involves systematically identifying, challenging, and replacing anger-producing thoughts with more rational alternatives. This is an ongoing process that requires persistent effort and practice.
Use the ABCDE model. This expanded framework adds Disputing (D) of irrational beliefs and developing new, Effective (E) rational beliefs to replace them. Regular practice of this model helps internalize a more constructive thinking pattern.
Steps in cognitive restructuring:
- Identify the activating event (A)
- Notice your beliefs (B) about the event
- Recognize the emotional consequences (C)
- Dispute (D) irrational beliefs
- Develop effective (E) new beliefs and behaviors
5. Use emotive techniques to reduce anger intensity
"By using REBT methods, you can do the same thing for yourself. Acknowledge fully that you create your own enraged feelings and see how you do so."
Engage emotions directly. While cognitive techniques are crucial, REBT also employs emotive methods to tackle anger at the feeling level. These approaches help interrupt and diminish the intensity of angry emotions.
Practice emotional exercises. Techniques like Rational Emotive Imagery (REI) and shame-attacking exercises allow individuals to vividly experience and then transform their anger in a controlled setting.
Emotive techniques for anger reduction:
- Rational Emotive Imagery: Visualize angering situations and practice changing your emotional response
- Shame-attacking exercises: Deliberately engage in "embarrassing" behaviors to reduce sensitivity to criticism
- Role-playing: Act out anger-provoking scenarios and practice alternative responses
- Unconditional self-acceptance: Learn to accept yourself even when feeling angry
6. Develop assertiveness skills as an alternative to aggression
"Assertion involves taking a stand, resisting unreasonable demands, or asking for what you want. Aggression involves putting another person down."
Assertiveness as a middle ground. Many people oscillate between passive and aggressive communication styles. Assertiveness offers a balanced approach that respects both self and others.
Learn specific assertiveness techniques. Effective assertion involves clear, direct communication of one's needs and boundaries without violating the rights of others. It often includes the use of "I" statements and active listening skills.
Key components of assertive communication:
- Express feelings and needs clearly
- Use "I" statements instead of accusations
- Maintain appropriate eye contact and body language
- Listen actively to others' perspectives
- Be willing to compromise and negotiate
7. Increase frustration tolerance and adopt a cooperative outlook
"Personal growth doesn't stem from avoiding frustration but from facing it and giving up your whining about it."
Build resilience to life's challenges. Low frustration tolerance is a key contributor to anger. By gradually exposing ourselves to frustrating situations and reframing our beliefs about them, we can increase our ability to cope without resorting to rage.
Shift from competition to cooperation. An overly competitive mindset can fuel anger and conflict. Adopting a more cooperative outlook allows for win-win solutions and reduces unnecessary antagonism.
Strategies for increasing frustration tolerance:
- Practice delayed gratification
- Set challenging but achievable goals
- Reframe frustrations as opportunities for growth
- Use humor to defuse tense situations
- Focus on long-term benefits over short-term discomfort
8. Apply relaxation techniques to manage physiological arousal
"Learning to calm yourself down physically is an important tool you can use to interrupt and reduce your rage."
Address the physical component of anger. Anger involves both cognitive and physiological arousal. Relaxation techniques help manage the bodily symptoms that can intensify and prolong angry feelings.
Practice regular relaxation. Techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and mindfulness meditation can be powerful tools for reducing overall stress and reactivity to anger triggers.
Relaxation techniques for anger management:
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Mindfulness meditation
- Guided imagery
- Autogenic training
9. Accept yourself with your anger while working to reduce it
"Accept yourself, then, with your anger. This does not mean, as some psychological writings imply, that you had better view angry feelings as good, healthy, or constructive."
Practice self-compassion. Accepting that anger is a normal human emotion doesn't mean condoning destructive behavior. Self-acceptance allows for honest acknowledgment of anger without harsh self-judgment, creating space for positive change.
Separate behavior from identity. Recognize that experiencing anger doesn't make you a "bad" person. Focus on changing specific thoughts and behaviors rather than globally rating yourself.
Steps for self-acceptance with anger:
- Acknowledge angry feelings without judgment
- Recognize the difference between feeling angry and acting on anger
- Take responsibility for anger without self-condemnation
- View anger as an opportunity for growth and learning
- Commit to constructive change while accepting human fallibility
10. Recognize the costs of chronic anger and benefits of control
"The more you understand the biological, social, cognitive, and other sources of your angry feelings and actions, the greater are your chances of reducing their poor results and of looking for better solutions than those that go with rage."
Anger carries a heavy price. Chronic anger can damage relationships, impair health, hinder problem-solving, and lead to regrettable actions. Understanding these costs provides motivation for change.
Benefits of anger management are substantial. Improved emotional control leads to better relationships, enhanced problem-solving abilities, reduced stress, and greater overall life satisfaction.
Costs of chronic anger:
- Strained or broken relationships
- Increased risk of cardiovascular problems
- Impaired decision-making and judgment
- Legal or professional consequences
- Emotional exhaustion and burnout
Benefits of effective anger management:
- Healthier, more satisfying relationships
- Improved physical and mental health
- Enhanced communication skills
- Greater success in personal and professional life
- Increased emotional intelligence and self-awareness
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FAQ
1. What is "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" by Albert Ellis about?
- Comprehensive anger management guide: The book provides a step-by-step approach to understanding, managing, and reducing destructive anger using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).
- Focus on self-created anger: It emphasizes that anger is largely self-created through irrational beliefs and that individuals can learn to control their emotional responses.
- Practical tools and exercises: The book offers practical cognitive, emotive, and behavioral techniques to help readers identify, dispute, and change their anger-inducing thoughts and behaviors.
- Integration of philosophy and science: Drawing from ancient Stoic philosophy and modern psychological research, the book blends timeless wisdom with evidence-based strategies.
2. Why should I read "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" by Albert Ellis?
- Proven, science-based methods: The book is authored by the founder of REBT and a leading anger researcher, offering methods backed by decades of clinical experience and research.
- Addresses common anger myths: It debunks popular misconceptions about anger, such as the need to vent or avoid conflict, and provides healthier alternatives.
- Applicable to daily life: The techniques are designed for real-world situations—relationships, work, and personal challenges—making them practical and actionable.
- Empowers self-change: Readers are taught to become their own therapists, gaining lifelong skills to manage anger and improve emotional well-being.
3. What are the key takeaways from "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You"?
- Anger is self-generated: Most anger arises from irrational beliefs and absolutist thinking, not from external events themselves.
- REBT as a core method: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) provides a structured framework (the ABC model) to identify, dispute, and replace anger-creating beliefs.
- Healthy vs. unhealthy anger: The book distinguishes between rational, helpful negative emotions (like disappointment) and unhealthy, destructive anger.
- Change requires practice: Lasting change comes from consistent practice of cognitive, emotive, and behavioral techniques, not just insight or willpower.
4. What are the main myths about anger addressed in "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You"?
- Myth 1: Venting reduces anger: The book shows that expressing anger often increases it, rather than providing relief.
- Myth 2: Time-outs solve anger: Avoiding situations may provide short-term relief but prevents learning to manage emotions effectively.
- Myth 3: Anger gets results: While anger may produce short-term compliance, it damages relationships and long-term outcomes.
- Myth 4: Insight into the past is enough: Understanding childhood causes of anger is less effective than changing current beliefs and behaviors.
- Myth 5: Others make you angry: The book emphasizes that your beliefs about events, not the events themselves, create your anger.
5. How does Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) help with anger in "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You"?
- ABC Model explained: REBT uses the ABC model—Activating event (A), Beliefs (B), Consequences (C)—to show how beliefs, not events, cause emotional reactions.
- Disputing irrational beliefs: The method teaches readers to identify and vigorously dispute irrational, absolutist beliefs that fuel anger.
- Replacing with rational beliefs: By adopting more flexible, rational beliefs, individuals can experience healthier emotions like disappointment instead of rage.
- Self-help emphasis: The book provides tools and forms (like the REBT Self-Help Form) for readers to practice these skills independently.
6. What are the most common irrational beliefs that cause anger, according to "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You"?
- Demandingness: Beliefs like "Others must treat me fairly" or "Things must go my way" are at the core of anger.
- Awfulizing: Exaggerating negative events as "awful" or "unbearable" intensifies emotional reactions.
- Low frustration tolerance: Thinking "I can't stand it when things go wrong" leads to increased anger and distress.
- Global rating and damnation: Labeling others as "bad people" for their actions, rather than judging specific behaviors, perpetuates anger.
7. What practical techniques does "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" recommend for managing anger?
- Cognitive disputing: Systematically challenge and replace irrational beliefs with rational alternatives using structured exercises like DIBs (Disputing Irrational Beliefs).
- Emotive techniques: Practice unconditional self-acceptance, rational emotive imagery, and use humor to defuse anger.
- Behavioral methods: Engage in assertion training, role-playing, and real-life homework assignments to practice new responses.
- Relaxation skills: Learn and apply progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery to reduce physical arousal associated with anger.
8. How does "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" differentiate between healthy and unhealthy anger?
- Healthy negative emotions: Feelings like disappointment, frustration, and annoyance are seen as rational and motivating for problem-solving.
- Unhealthy anger: Rage, resentment, and vindictiveness are considered irrational, self-defeating, and damaging to relationships and health.
- Source of difference: The key distinction lies in the underlying beliefs—rational preferences lead to healthy emotions, while absolutist demands create unhealthy anger.
- Goal of REBT: The aim is not to eliminate all negative feelings, but to transform destructive anger into constructive, manageable emotions.
9. What are the long-term costs of unmanaged anger, according to "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You"?
- Relationship damage: Anger often destroys close personal and work relationships, leading to isolation and loss of support.
- Work and career setbacks: Uncontrolled anger can result in missed promotions, job loss, and poor professional reputation.
- Physical health risks: Chronic anger is linked to increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other health problems.
- Personal distress: Anger can lead to depression, guilt, embarrassment, and a sense of being out of control.
10. How does "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" suggest handling anger in close relationships?
- Acknowledge and own your anger: Admit your feelings to yourself and your partner without blaming or condemning.
- Distinguish wishes from demands: Recognize the difference between preferring certain behaviors and demanding them as necessities.
- Use I-statements and assertiveness: Communicate feelings and needs directly and respectfully, avoiding accusatory or aggressive language.
- Practice acceptance: Accept both your own and your partner’s fallibility, and focus on problem-solving rather than venting or suppressing anger.
11. What are some advanced cognitive strategies in "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" for reducing anger?
- Referenting technique: List both positive and negative traits of someone who angers you to gain a balanced perspective and reduce overgeneralization.
- Paradoxical intention: Exaggerate your demands or anger to absurdity in your mind to highlight their irrationality and let go of them.
- Humor and perspective: Use humor to challenge your own seriousness and rigid thinking about anger-provoking situations.
- Challenging attributions: Question your assumptions about others’ motives and consider alternative explanations for their behavior.
12. What are the best quotes from "How To Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" and what do they mean?
- “What disturbs people’s minds is not events but their judgments on events.” (Epictetus): This quote, featured as the book’s epigraph, encapsulates the REBT philosophy that our beliefs, not external events, create our emotional responses.
- “You—and not those other rotten people—create your rage. Indeed, yes!” This emphasizes personal responsibility for anger and the power to change it.
- “Letting your anger out directly and indirectly tends to reinforce and strengthen it.” This challenges the myth of catharsis and warns against venting as a solution.
- “Accept yourself, then, with your anger. This does not mean...that you had better view angry feelings as good, healthy, or constructive.” This highlights the importance of self-acceptance even when struggling with anger, without justifying destructive behavior.
- “Forgive everything and forget nothing.” (Paul Hauck, quoted): This suggests that forgiveness is key to emotional health, but remembering past experiences helps protect against future harm.
Review Summary
Reviews for "How to Control Your Anger Before It Controls You" are mixed. Many readers find the book insightful and helpful, praising its practical approach to managing anger through rational thinking. Some appreciate Ellis's concepts of self-acceptance and challenging irrational beliefs. However, others criticize the book for being repetitive, outdated, and difficult to apply in real-time situations. Several reviewers note that while the core ideas are valuable, the writing style can be dry and overly clinical. Overall, readers seem to agree that the book offers useful techniques but may require patience to digest fully.
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