Let's take for granted that resentment (persistent or recurrent ill-tempered grumbling, blame, and attack on others) is undesirable.
I heard someone say the other day that anger, by contrast, is just fine.
I wanted to test this out by phoning the person up and shouting at them, but I decided that this would probably not help.
Jesting aside, it's clear that anger is just as much of a problem. Page 66 effectively equates anger with resentment. The programme does not make a distinction, and the programme certainly does not suggest that rage is a virtue, that scolding people is desirable, and that negative reactions are to be striven for.
Sometimes people justify anger by saying that it is righteous to be angry at bad things, and that no one would ever change anything in the world if they did not get angry.
Let's take these one by one.
Does anyone seriously believe that, if people were angrier, more combattive, more ill-tempered, more critical, and more morose, our lives would be better? What about if people were more pacific, more cooperative, more even-tempered, more understanding, and cheerful? The answer is obvious.
Regarding change: angry people often change nothing, and, when trying to effect change, they often go about it an unproductive way. Being placid, emotionally balanced, and rational, by contrast, enables a person to see more effectively what needs to be changed and to go about changing it in the most effective, efficient, and harmonious way.
There is a tiny little place for anger, however, and it is this: a slug of anger grabs my attention when something is awry. When I'm 'spiritually breathing' (allowing emotions to come and go), I notice it, and, having done its job, it goes its merry way, leaving no residue. It does not pitch camp. I then get to assess the situation to identify whether it commands a response.
Once a phenomenon is familiar, one should adjust to the phenomenon, and expect it to be that way. The first time a sponsee cancels a meeting at the last minute, fine, have a moment of anger. But if they do it again, and I'm angry, the anger is redundant. There is something wrong with my expectations. There is no new information to be had.
Anger can have a minor use in alerting me to novel or changed circumstances, but the anger needs to be timely, appropriate, and proportionate and then released so I can think and act right.