Who's Controlling Who? Your Emotions or You?

When you are angry, what is it that you wish to do do?


1. Stuff yourself with as much food as possible.


2. Go watch a comedy in the cinema to make yourself happier.


3. Be alone and don't talk to anyone.


4. Go exercise and sweat it out.


5. Find some friends and chill out with them.


6. Go read a book.


7. Go and sleep, pretend that nothing has happened.


8. Blog or write down it your diary about what happened.


9. Play computer/PS/Xbox games (maybe online ones like Mapel, Dota or WoW).


10. Take a gun and go shoot all those people that made you angry.


I hope none of you chose the 10th option. Just last week, the world witnessed the worst campus shooting in the United States. Cho Seung-hui, a student in Virginia Tech, killed 32 people, before killing himself.

I have no idea what exactly Cho Seng-hui was going through. But I believe that when he committed the act, he was extremely angry and depressed. He wasn't in control of his emotions. His emotions were in control of him.


Sometimes, when I look at the students in my school, I realised that some of them seems to be always angry. They would always show angry faces. Vulgarities come out freely from their mouth. They speak rudely to peers and teachers.


I don't think this only happens in Springfield. Generally, many of our young people in Singapore nowadays have problems controlling their anger.


Anger seems to be controlling them.


It's perfectly normal for anyone to feel angry at times. However, the difference is how a person manage his anger. If, in his anger, he did something impulsive and hurt others or even himself, then it's bad. Or alternatively, if he keeps trying to contain the anger within himself, and doesn't share with anyone, it's like a built-up volcano. Once this person erupts in anger, the consequences can be very serious.


However, I believe that there are ways to help young people control their anger and emotions. I have 3 suggestsions that I would like to share :

1) Find a healthy community of friends.

2) Learn to forgive.

3) Find a mentor.


(To be continued...)