# What is the opposite of anger? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 23, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971 "2013-08-23T14:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/21 "2013-08-24T11:59:58Z")
I’d say it is acceptance or fearlessness. Anger is really just a response secondary to fear - things are not the way you want them to be, this threatens you in some way and you become angry. If things aren’t going the way you want them to and you don’t care and don’t feel threatened, you don’t get angry. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/22 "2013-08-24T12:08:22Z")
Equanimity. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/23 "2013-08-24T12:47:12Z")
I don’t think the opposite of scared is brave. It seems to me that the opposite of scared is secure, and the opposite of brave is cowardly. The opposite of angry is accepting, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/24 "2013-08-24T12:49:45Z")
Serene. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/25 "2013-08-24T14:19:32Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > words can have more than one opposite They can also just not have an opposite. What’s the point of deciding on the opposite anyway? If we decide the opposite is ‘happy’ do we start injecting angry people with happy serum? This reminds of my annoyance with the old phrase ‘the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference’. It’s like saying the opposite of -1 isn’t 1, it’s 0. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/26 "2013-08-25T01:31:41Z")
Peaceful. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/27 "2013-08-25T02:05:48Z")
Insouciant! ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/28 "2013-08-25T03:02:59Z")
Totally agree with those who say that there can be many opposites to such words. It’s almost like asking, what is the opposite of pie? The opposite of anger can be calm, thoughtful, content, controlled, love, and many other things. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/29 "2013-08-25T03:03:28Z")
Cold indifference. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/30 "2013-08-25T15:18:47Z")
Calm. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/31 "2013-08-25T15:37:47Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > It’s almost like asking, what is the opposite of pie? A corn dog. ---
**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/32 "2013-08-25T16:29:01Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I’d say it is acceptance or fearlessness. > > Anger is really just a response secondary to fear - things are not the way you want them to be, this threatens you in some way and you become angry. > > If things aren’t going the way you want them to and you don’t care and don’t feel threatened, you don’t get angry. The people I’m angry with are those who’ve betrayed me in some meaningful way. The fear is over, but a desire for vengeance/punishment of some kind remains. Anyway, that’s what anger feels like to me. The opposite of that for me would be gratefulness. ---
**Author:** ![the\_apples\_fell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@the\_apples\_fell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_apples_fell)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971/33 "2013-08-25T17:16:25Z")
Probably calm. To me it’s not happy since happy and sad are opposites. When I am angry I feel like ripping things to shreds, which to me is the opposite of how I’d be if I was calm. Opposite of indifference is to care, not to be angry I suspect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of-anger/666971.md?page=1)