The Importance of Pain, Anger & Empathy

Noetic with Jared Angaza

I was raised in the era of Rage Against the Machine activism. I felt a deep anger for the injustices of the world. I wanted to change it. I wanted to fight for the oppressed. And that led me to having to deal with a lot of rage in my life.

Over the years, I’ve had to explore that rage. Where does it come from? Should I try and squelch it? Should I embrace those feelings? What happens if I do?

If we allow ourselves to feel these emotions and lean into them, how can we ever expect to be happy? How can we be an inspiration for peace if we’re so sad and angry? Can these emotions ever play a positive role in our lives? How do I engage in empathy without dragging myself down and being a source of negative energy?

In this episode, I talk about the resolve of MLK, the beauty of the film Crash and my love of Rage Against the Machine. Let’s dive in!