Frustration and anger are natural responses experienced by both humans and animals. These emotions are closely related and can be difficult to distinguish from one another. However, it is possible to differentiate between frustration and anger to some extent through psychological explanations. It has been observed that frustration can lead to anger and vice versa.
Key Takeaways
- Frustration is commonly a response to internal conditions, while anger is typically a response to external conditions.
- Frustration is usually a slow and steady response, whereas anger is often a quick and aggressive response.
- Frustration can be difficult to detect in a person’s body language and can be easily hidden, while anger is usually visible and identifiable.
Frustration is often characterized by dissatisfaction with certain situations. When a person fails to fulfill their desires to the expected level, they may feel frustrated. This can be a mixture of feeling hopeless, discouraged, sad, and disappointed. Frustration can have many origins, including external factors such as unavoidable situations, difficult tasks, and unreachable deadlines. Often, frustration is caused by internal factors like personal goals, dreams, and the inability to achieve them due to a lack of self-confidence or lowered self-esteem. A frustrated person may show indirect responses, making it difficult to locate the original reason. They may prefer loneliness, silence, and exhibit antisocial or passive-aggressive behavior. Prolonged frustration may eventually lead to a sudden burst of anger.
Anger is also a natural response to situations where a person feels offended or wronged. It is usually triggered by external factors like the death of a loved one, pain, injustice, humiliation, physical conditions, or illnesses. Anger can be mainly of two types: aggressive anger and passive anger. Aggressive anger is more easily observable than passive anger, which displays the opposite type of behavior. An angry person’s physiology is determined by the release of stress hormones, resulting in increased heart rate, blood pressure, heavy breathing, and increased body temperature. A frequently angry person may suffer from insomnia, digestive disorders, headaches, and other health issues. In extreme cases, an outburst of anger can lead to a stroke or heart attack.
