--- title: "The Surprising Purpose of Anger - Center for Nonviolent Communication" description: "The Surprising Purpose of Anger - Beyond Anger Management: Finding the Gift. Anger signals unmet needs; use Nonviolent Communication to address and resolve them. Authored by Marshall Rosenberg" url: "https://www.cnvc.org/store/the-surprising-purpose-of-anger" date: "2026-09-18T07:21:36+00:00" language: "en-US" --- ![The Surprising Purpose of Anger, front cover](https://www.cnvc.org/media/yootheme/cache/bd/surprising-purpose-anger-bdf0d22b.jpeg) # The Surprising Purpose of Anger # Beyond Anger Management: Finding the Gift Marshall Rosenberg This is a transcript from a Workshop by Marshall Rosenberg (48 pages) # Available Editions - click to purchase on seller site [ ### Book (Paperback) English PuddleDancer Press ](https://puddledancer.bookstore.ipgbook.com/the-surprising-purpose-of-anger-products-9781892005151.php?page_id=21) [](#)[](#) **What is your Anger telling you?** You can feel it when it hits you. Your face flushes and your vision narrows. Your heartbeat increases as judgmental thoughts flood your mind. Your anger has been triggered, and you're about to say or do something that will likely make it worse. You have an alternative. By practicing the Nonviolent Communication process you can use that anger to serve a specific, life-enriching purpose. It tells you that you're disconnected from what you value and that your needs are not being met. Rather than managing your anger by suppressing your feelings or blasting someone with your judgments, Marshall Rosenberg shows you how to use anger to discover what you need, and then how to meet your needs in constructive ways. This booklet will help you apply these four key truths: - People or events may spark your anger but your own judgments are its cause - Judging others as "wrong" prevents you from connecting with your unmet needs - Getting clear about your needs helps you identify solutions satisfying to everyone - Creating strategies focused on meeting your needs transforms anger into positive actions ![The Surprising Purpose of Anger, back cover](https://www.cnvc.org/images/STORE/surprising-purpose-anger-bc-jpeg.jpg) --- The purchase of items from our virtual store help support CNVC through affiliate links where we may earn a percentage of the sale. 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