Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-24
Why do men simulate anger as a

Why do men simulate anger as
joke?
Many have q bad habit of pretending
| to be angry when they are not as If
there were not enough spleen in the
world already and they must make
some more.
Two middle-aged men meeting, one
began to ask as to the composition of
certain party to be held, and when
| the second told the first that his son
| was going along, the latter said, with
out cracking smile, that he would
! not 60.
81 won't 60 if that boy is along"
he declared. Il hate that boy" Chance
listeners wondered at the remark, look
serious. decided that he did, dismissed
the matter as past understanding.
AS 1t turned out, the speaker was
only joking" Seeing that his remarks
had been misunderstood by all except
the father, he volunteered the informa-
ton that as q matter of fact he was
and always had been excessively fond
Of the young fellow in question.
X \ X
The question remained: If he liked
the young fellow, why did he pretend
not to like him?
If he really cared for him, what
queer trend in human nature was it
that made him willing to joke about
the matter?
And even If willing to Joke. why
should the joke take the form Of anger?
Yet 1t is common knowledge that this
stimulation Of ire takes place often, eS-
pecially among men, who rather fear
TO show affection in public. (This is
another matter in which women are
more sensible than men,
Perhaps the best thing for them to
do would be to remain silent This, at
any rate, would free them from the
appearance Of anger. Anger Is too costly
and explosive an emotion to monkey
with, as many have found out to their
sorrow. OF all the emotions to which
man is heir anger Is the one he has to
fear the most. 1t comes upon him in
the most unexpected ways. from vast
psychological depths no man has yet
probed.
The whole history Of the race is
coiled away in anger, which raises its
ugly head at the slightest spark, ready
10 defend, to fight, to slay, or, at the
least, to intimidate. The bowling of
the back and swelling of the tail of
the domestic cat are striking mani
festations OF anger, yet the emotion
does not have to be so visibly displayed
TO be recognizable.
Those who knew George Washington
best recognized him as a man with
great depths of anger held in leash
against an emergency. He was the
perfect gentleman, but beneath the
outward appearances slumbered a vol
cano which not even his closest ad-
Visers dared to disturb.
washington was a great man. who
not only held his temper in check, but
made 1t serve the purposes Of his coun-
try. With most men such anger is
only a hindrance and a danger. The
average person has neither the oppor-
tunity nor ability to turn anger to any
good use. With him 1t must be simply
an explosion, stirred into being by an
injustice, perhaps, or by no greater
reason than slight.
Anger is productive of both good and
evil, as most qualities are, so that
wholesale condemnation Of 1t would be
silly. Just as the arched back and
thus increased height Of the angry
tomcat saves him from the pursuing
dog, so righteous anger in man has
been responsible for many good deeds.
It's awful manifestations. however.
have been 50 numerous in the history
Of the race that mankind has come to
be afraid Of it, and rightly. for anger
is too widely coupled with sinful mani