Remaining Calm in an Angry World: How Some Idahoans Cope

Refreshed from a sightseeing trip in McCall, Jeff and Youik Nunez began the pleasant drive back home to Nampa on US Highway 95 in late November. What started off without a hitch, quickly turned into a scary situation when Jeff passed a vehicle that was traveling under the posted speed limit. This harmless action unleashed the rage of the other driver, who, in turn, began aggressively tailgating Nunez’s vehicle.

“We found ourselves in a location where the phone wouldn’t work,” Jeff said. “What if something happens with the vehicle? What if this person has a weapon? I was super scared.”

He mentioned that several times he tried to allow the angry driver to pass, but the driver remained glued to their back bumper for an hour and a half.

What helped Jeff keep his composure? “I prayed in my mind to God to keep calm,” Jeff recalled. He also attributed being able to keep that peace to his regular reading of the Bible and his relationship with his Creator. Such calm resulted in a great reward, as the angry driver finally lost interest and stopped the pursuit. Jeff was convinced that had he reacted in kind, with the same aggressiveness, it would have ended in an accident or injury.

Frontline workers, airline personnel, educators, and others can attest to a trend of increased aggression, even becoming targets.

Eric Cancino, a construction worker from American Falls, has also experienced a rise in hostility in our communities. He arrived at work early one morning to put the finishing touches on a stairway in a new house. He temporarily removed strips of wood as part of the process. When the painter of those boards arrived, the painter exploded with rage and verbal insults.

“He wanted to fight,” Cancino said. “He even kicked my tools and spilled them onto the floor.”

As the painter continued yelling, Cancino felt himself getting angry, but he resisted the temptation and remained calm. “I let him yell and say what he had to say,” Cancino recalled. “I wanted to leave, but I was in a corner.” His calm response effectively put out the fire. The painter left without returning to the job site.

How did Cancino achieve this self-control? He credits his Bible study and upbringing, which reminded him to never react with aggression when in a tense situation.

“Even though this world is a disaster, I can continue forward, faithful and happy, feeling inner peace due to the principles that are found in the Bible,” Cancino concluded.

A Gallup poll found higher levels of stress, sadness, anger, and worry in 2020 than ever before at any point in the organization's global tracking.

Casey Garrett, of Twin Falls, agrees, "I think today people are much more on edge."

On one cold, icy evening, he arrived at an office building to start his job. He typed the code into the security keypad and entered the door without any trouble, unaware he had triggered a silent alarm. After a while, an employee showed up, extremely angry that the alarm had gone off.

“I think it was shocking because he just started yelling; he didn’t even give me a chance to speak,” Garrett said.

Instead of immediately reacting, Garrett was able to de-escalate the confrontation by remaining calm and apologizing. “I’ve learned from past situations that when we retaliate, it's like throwing gasoline on a fire,” he said.

He said one article from jw.org, the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses, was especially beneficial. It is entitled "What Does the Bible Say About Anger?" and reminded him that it is our choice whether we stay calm or overreact.