Difference Between Wrath and Anger

The main difference between wrath and anger is that anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility, while wrath is the extreme form of anger.

Anger is an emotion common to all living beings. Once anger escalates from emotion to action, it turns into wrath. Therefore, wrath is an extreme form of anger, which involves violence or violent actions. While anger is healthy and socially acceptable, wrath is not.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Anger
     – Definition, Nature
2. What is Wrath
     – Definition, Nature
3. What is the Relationship Between Wrath and Anger
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Wrath and Anger
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Anger, Violence, Wrath

What is Anger

Anger is a strong, usually hostile, emotion you when you think that someone has behaved in an unfair, cruel, or unacceptable way with you. It is an emotional reaction common to all living beings. Anger is usually triggered by emotional hurt; it is a reaction to threat, pain, criticism, or perceived provocation. It can also be a secondary response to feeling lonely, sad or frightened.

How we experience anger differs from person to person – how we express, its intensity, how long it lasts, etc. Some people always get angry while some rarely feel it. Anger is manifested in both verbal and non-verbal ways. The external expression of anger can be noted in facial expressions, body language, physiological responses, as well as acts of aggression.

Psychologists view anger as a normal and natural reaction, and state that anger can be either constructive or destructive, meaning that it has both positive and negative outcomes. Anger is basically signal to you, indicating that something in your environment isn’t right; it motivates you to take action to correct that wrong thing. Negative outcomes of anger actually pertain to how you manage or control anger. Consistent and extreme anger can result in many detrimental health effects like stress and increase in blood pressure. Moreover, out of control anger can make you violent and destructive, alienating your family, friends and co-workers, and leading to social isolation. Therefore, controlling your anger is very important to lead a healthy life.

What is Wrath

Wrath is an extreme form of anger. In other words, it involves violence or violent actions. It is characterized by violence, rage, hostility, hatred, and revenge, which is very destructive. Therefore, wrath is anger turned into uncontrollable violent extreme emotion, resulting in hostile and vengeful actions.

Wrath usually leads a person toward some kind of destructive behaviour toward another person. Moreover, wrath can be a result of anger repressed for a long time, or a reaction against a major injustice, or even the inability to control one’s anger. Wrath also clouds one’s judgement and make people senseless, leading to major destruction.

Relationship Between Wrath and Anger

• Wrath is an extreme form of anger. Anger is an emotion that is natural to everyone. Once anger escalates from emotion to action, it turns into wrath.

Difference Between Wrath and Anger

Definition

Anger is a  strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility, while wrath is the extreme form of anger.

Associated Feelings

Wrath involves violence, hostility, vengeance, or punishment, while anger involves pain, hurt, hostility or displeasure.

Acceptability

Moreover, anger is a natural human emotion, and therefore acceptable while wrath is not acceptable.

Type of Actions

Anger does not always lead to destructive or violent actions; it can also be constructive. Nevertheless, wrath always leads to violent actions, leading to massive destruction.

Conclusion

In brief, anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility while wrath is the extreme form of anger. Anger is a natural emotion we all feel while wrath always involves violence, vengeance, and destruction. Therefore, anger is healthy and socially acceptable, while wrath is not. This is the main difference between wrath and anger.

Reference:

1. “Anger.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Apr. 2020, Available here.
2. “What Is Anger?” Mental Help What Is Anger Comments, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “3126441” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “1148029” (CC0) via Pixabay