Some days it doesn’t take a lot for us to lose our cool. We might even surprise ourselves at how quick things escalate. But rarely is a short fuse just about the events in that moment.
For instance, more is likely going on when we find ourselves easily angered by simple requests from our wife, someone cutting us off in traffic, or the usual challenges in raising our kids.
While the immediate issue might not be okay and still need to be appropriately addressed, our anger should match the intensity of the moment and not be blown out of proportion.
With a short fuse we’re usually both quick to get angry and our level of anger doesn’t match the situation. This is a clue other issues are also probably in play.
For example, we’re prone to have a short fuse when work is stressful, money is tight, and there’s little time to rest. It might also be the case that we’ve felt disrespected, overlooked, rejected, or the like throughout much of our life and we’re now easily triggered by any hint of these things still today.
Whatever the case, it’s often helpful to consider what’s going on beneath the surface whenever we find ourselves with a short fuse. This allows us to deal with the issue at the root rather than taking things out on others.
We tend to only compound our problems when our anger is misdirected and misapplied. And soon we find ourselves spiraling downward and getting angrier with an ever shortening fuse.
In the end, the straw that breaks the camel’s back is not just about the last piece of straw. Consider the other issues at play in your story whenever you have a short fuse. There’s generally more going on.
Photo by Rogério S. on Unsplash
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