A good general piece. The sad thing is that those who may benefit most from the article/book are the least likely to read them. The lack of comments indicates that.

Years as a crisis councillor has taught me that people are more inclined to either ignore the problem or blame it on others then complain that THEY are the victims. "She/he made me do it" is one of the most infamous and examples of this mentality.

Battling anger is a life long occupation for some, I can attest to that, not just a quick read and equally quick fix.

If you find yourself blaming others for your actions (especially anger) then its time to take stock. That is not to say dwell/brood on it just be aware...that is the first step.

Much anger is habitual and appears instinctive there are elements a person can modify by setting sort term strategies/goals.
Broadly speaking if you can maintain an improved behaviour pattern for 30 days it will become a new habit. This strategy can be applied to a number of nasty 'personality bumps'.

To me much of this should be taught in schools. It is only through self motivation/discipline that the excesses of traumatic teen age years can be truly survivable. Adults would be wise to think on this too.

Possibly people like Belinda Neal don't really have an incentive to manage their anger for a long time.

Everyone knows a work colleague or member of a group who is famously 'difficult'. Often they are very successful. People tend to tiptoe around them and avoid taking them on. When they cross the line, often it's often easier for management and other members of the group to 'let it slide'. People will avoid them, leave the group, change jobs, but the person with the issue can go from strength to strength.

In a environment such as the Labor Party and in Parliament, acting like Belinda Neal might not get you liked, but it can get you feared and that can be better in advancing your interests. It was said of one of our Heads of Department before they became a Head of Department by another then Head, that they wished 'they would occasionally go for the ankles instead of the jugular'. Their aggressiveness didn't stimie their career, far from it.

Neal's mistake was that she tried it on people that had nothing to lose by taking her on. Her mistake. Whether she acknowleges her anger is a problem though, is dubious.