Breaking news! Assassination attempt on Donald Trump, former U.S. President and current Presidential candidate!

Is it possible that the level of rising anger in the U.S. has reached a tipping point? Have the political divisiveness, the toxic rhetoric, and the tolerance of hatefulness gone too far? Truth is, if rage were weather, we'd be smack in the middle of a Cat 5 hurricane! Is there any hope for turning it around?

Dr. Beverly Smallwood will equip your audience to create a more constructive culture and to build a richer quality of life by letting go of toxic anger, thinking and acting constructively, and channeling frustrations into constructive problem-solving.

Dr. Smallwood, a licensed psychologist and experienced media resource, is the perfect guest to discuss toxic anger. For over four decades she has worked with people in families and family businesses, organizations, prison, international government organizations and NGO's, and faith-based groups. She's helped them to resolve explosive or simmering anger and to reclaim the ability to work collaboratively with others while staying true to their own deep values.

The search for the motives of the shooter in the assassination attempt is ongoing. However, Dr. Bev will elaborate on key points that help the audience understand how rage breeds and, further, how individuals and groups can prevent the manufacture of emotions that poison our culture and destroy our relationships.

I. How does it happen?

A. Individual anger management is complicated by group membership. Exposure to, belonging to, then all-out commitment to a group with fixed angry views blind people to all the facts needed for problem-solving. The solutions lie in taking all sides into account.

B. Overgeneralizations, negative labels, and stereotypes create distorted thinking because of confirmation bias. People see only what they already believe.

C. Attribution of "evil" rather than framing a conflict as a difference of opinion leads to fixed hostility and even violence.

D. People with fixed hostility toward "the other side" see their own personal actions, normally contrary to their values, as "justified." Thus, hateful words and even violent actions become acceptable and are even seen as a badge of honor.

II. What to do?

A. Recognize the destructiveness of rage – to society, to relationships, and to everyone individually. Determine to stop contributing to the problems and become a positive difference-maker.

B. Learn to express frustrations and differences of opinion in constructive problem-solving discussions. Attack the problem, not the person.

C. Remove hateful and emotionally-charged accusations from your thinking and your vocabulary. Your thoughts come out of your mouth, sooner or later. Hateful speech solves nothing; it only escalates problems and widens the divisions. Learn that individuals and groups are not unidimensional. People you don't understand still have value and perspectives you need.

D. Peep out of the echo chambers in which you live, and listen to all sides. Get to know individuals who think differently than you. Tune in to a different TV channel. You'll find truth in unexpected places.

Dr. Beverly Smallwood may be contacted by email at Bev@DrBevSmallwood.com or by text or phone call to 601.408.0735 (mobile) or 601.264.0890 (office).