Differences Between Anger and Annoyance

Abstract

In order to understand a phenomenon such as anger, it is often helpful to explore the similarities and differences between it and other closely related phenomena. That was the implicit rationale behind the discussion in Chapter 3 of cross-cultural variations in aggressive syndromes. The purpose of the present chapter is to contrast anger with a closely related emotion in our own culture, namely, annoyance. There is no special reason for selecting annoyance (as oppossed, say, to contempt or jealousy) for this purpose. A little reflection suggests, however, that “annoyance” is the most common, as well as the most inclusive, term for relatively mild states similar to anger.