Since time immemorial, people have tried to devise techniques for anger management.
In ancient Rome, the Stoic philosopher Seneca believed “my anger is likely to do me more harm than yours” and offered avoidance tips in his AD45 work De Ira (On Anger).
More modern methods include a workout on the gym punching bag or exercise bike. But the humble paper shredder may be a more effective — and accessible — way to decompress, according to research.
A study in Japan found that writing down your reaction to a negative incident on a piece of paper and then shredding it, or scrunching it into a ball and throwing it in the trash, gets rid of anger.
“We expected that our method would suppress anger to some extent,” said Nobuyuki Kawai, lead researcher of the study at Nagoya University. “However, we were surprised that anger was almost completely eliminated.”
The study, published in Scientific Reports, builds on research on the relationship between the written word and anger reduction as well as studies showing how interactions with physical objects can control a person’s mood. For example, those seeking revenge on a former partner may burn letters or destroy gifts.
Researchers believe that the shredding results are related to the phenomenon of “backward magical contagion,” which is the belief that actions taken on an object associated with a person can affect the individuals themselves. In this case, getting rid of the negative physical entity, the piece of paper, causes the original emotion to disappear as well.
This is a reversal of “magical contagion” or “celebrity contagion” – the belief that the “essence” of an individual can be transmitted through their physical possessions.
Fifty student participants were asked to write short opinions about an important social issue, such as whether smoking in public should be banned. Evaluators then deliberately scored the papers low on intelligence, interest, friendliness, logic and rationality. For good measure, evaluators added insulting comments such as: “I can’t believe an educated person would think that. I hope this person learns something while at university.”
The liquidated participants then wrote down their angry thoughts about the negative feedback on a piece of paper. One group was told to either roll up the paper and throw it in a bin or keep it in a file on their desk. A second group was told to shred the paper, or put it in a plastic box.
Anger levels of the individuals who threw their paper in the trash or shredded it returned to their initial state, while those who kept a hard copy of the paper experienced only a small decrease in their overall anger.
Researchers concluded that “the meaning (interpretation) of disposal plays a critical role” in reducing anger.
“This technique can be applied in the moment by writing down the source of anger as if you were taking a memo and then throwing it away,” Kawai said.
Along with its practical benefits, this discovery may shed light on the origins of the Japanese cultural tradition known as hakidashisara (hakidashi sara refers to a dish or plate) at Hiyoshi Shrine in Kiyosu, just outside of Nagoya. Hakidashisara is an annual festival where people smash small chips representing things that make them angry. The study’s findings may explain the sense of relief that attendees report after leaving the festival, the paper concluded.
