Campaign 2016: Some tips on how to handle political anger
As fists flew at Donald Trump campaign events in Chicago and Fayetteville, N.C., the issue of political anger management is taking the national stage. That's prompting some American voters to look for a path to peace or at least dialogue.听
In the aftermath of recent violence, Twitter is one ready outlet for political frustration.
Tony Fiore, a licensed psychologist with offices in Long Beach, Calif., and Newport Beach, Va., aka听, says in an phone interview, 鈥淭here鈥檚 no simple fix for people with impulse control [issues] who are taking this campaign too personally.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lack of tolerance of other people鈥檚 opinions that鈥檚 causing the problem, not other people鈥檚 opinions,鈥� says Dr. Fiore. 鈥淭hey need a lot of self-talk, it鈥檚 a cognitive practice, just tell yourself, 鈥極ther people have a right to their opinion even though you don鈥檛 agree with it. That should be their new mantra.鈥�
Dr. Fiore says that Mr. Trump could play a role in defusing violent incidents by inviting dialogue.
鈥淭rump himself is being intolerant by saying 鈥楾hrow out the protestors鈥� instead of 鈥楲et鈥檚 hear what they have to say.鈥� 鈥�
Pan Vera, spokesperson for the Center for Nonviolent Communication says in an interview that听Trump's "emotional transmission" of intolerance is contributing to the difficulty some of his supporters are having in managing their anger and intolerance.
"It's Trump's emotional energy," Mr. Vera says. "It's like you can talk to some people and come away all excited and happy. There's neuroscience involved. The last time I saw anything like this was with George Wallace."
Some families adamantly avoid the subject of politics for the sake of peace (or seek solace in the kitten and puppy videos of the ). But Chad Marlow, the听American Civil Liberties Union鈥檚听(ACLU) advocacy and policy counsel in New York, says that retreating from politics into the world of adorable animals isn鈥檛 the way to go.
鈥淣o. Because somewhere hidden beneath all of that bile are political arguments that have to be made and vetted because that鈥檚 what we do in a free, open, democratic society,鈥� Mr. Marlow says in a phone interview. 鈥淭he manner in which the arguments are being expressed is disappointing and potentially dangerous.鈥�
Marlow听defines the total retreat from campaign news as being like the Ray Bradbury novel "Fahrenheit 451," in which most of the population has giant, wall-sized TVs, 鈥渢hey were basically numbed into not caring what was going on. That鈥檚 [Reddit] cat memes in this situation.鈥�
The ACLU is often in the crosshairs of critics for defending controversial positions.听
When asked how he manages the verbal barbs and arrows, Marlow cites the first line of Rudyard Kipling's poem听:
If you can keep your head when all about you听听听听听听 Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,听听听If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,听听听 But make allowance for their doubting too;听听听If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,听听听 Or being lied about, don鈥檛 deal in lies,Or being hated, don鈥檛 give way to hating,听听听 And yet don鈥檛 look too good, nor talk too wise ...
鈥淚 think there is a quiet confidence that comes to people when you know what you are doing is morally and ethically right,鈥� Marlow says. 鈥淢y father once said to me when I was younger, 鈥業f you see two people arguing and you want to figure out who鈥檚 losing the argument, just listen to who鈥檚 shouting the loudest. The person who begins to devolve is the one losing the argument.鈥�
鈥淵ou come back with insults because you don鈥檛 actually have a legitimate strong, smart, counter-response. So you insult, or you belittle....You can鈥檛 pat yourself on the back for being a disciplined, moral and ethical advocate for your issues and engage in that sort of behavior. So there鈥檚 really no temptation to respond in time because if you do then you become that which you are criticizing,鈥� he says. 鈥淎t the ACLU we have a reputation for being principled. You can鈥檛 get into the mud like that and expect people to see you as principled.鈥�
