Remaining Calm in an Angry World:

After a year of pandemic isolation, Tampa, Florida, resident Gary Bagwell emerged to finally enjoy a “luxury” he longed for — a haircut. Sitting in the chair for the first time in 18 months, he relaxed and settled in for a little pampering.

When his barber asked a fellow stylist to make change for a $20 bill Bagwell was paying with, the burly co-worker reacted with a barrage of stinging expletives and repeatedly punched the barber, once in the face then ten blows to his head.

In an instant, the peace that Bagwell hoped for turned to panic.

“I’ve never seen such bizarre behavior in my life, said Bagwell. “I think people today are much more on edge.”

In fact, 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.

Whether victim or observer, an encounter with aggressive or angry behavior can catch anyone off guard. Experts say remaining calm is key to ensuring that a precarious situation doesn’t escalate. Anger management expert Ryan Martin’s advice in Psychology Today was, “Stay calm, stay safe, and don’t make it worse.”

Bagwell agrees. “Inserting myself into a volatile situation like this would only make matters worse,” he said, citing practical advice he was grateful to have recalled from his congregation meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

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

Maurice Richardson, who worked as a cook at a restaurant in Canton, Michigan, recalls being a victim of verbal abuse from his assistant general manager. The incident occurred during the restaurant's peak time; the scene was hectic and people were short-tempered.

There was a misunderstanding with an order, and the manager assumed Maurice was at fault. She blamed him and was relentless with insults and accusations. “She went into a major meltdown, yelling at me so loudly that the owner in the front of the restaurant came back to ask what was going on. She was really attacking my character; if she could hit me, she would have. I felt disrespected, belittled and I wanted to retaliate,” said Maurice.

Prior to dedicating his life to God, he practiced boxing, mixed martial arts, and had a temper. However, Maurice's relationship with God was evident in his response. “The whole time I didn’t say a word; I didn't hear anything she really had to say, because I was in prayer at that moment,” said Maurice.

Upon realizing her oversight, she apologized to him, and instead of making a public scene to announce her mistake, he responded empathetically. Maurice credits his reaction to promptly praying and regularly studying the bible. “Scriptures from my personal Bible reading helped out,” he said.

Further, jw.org resources have helped him cultivate positive qualities in dealing with aggressive behavior. “The 12 secrets to a successful family, even though it’s designed for family or husband and wife, the same attributes that are pointed out, I can use towards coworkers. I’m using communication and respect at work. Those things help me out,” said Maurice.

For fire inspector Roy La Grone of Grand Rapids, Michigan, such volatile situations have posed a particular challenge. “I’ve had a hard time controlling my anger since I was a kid,” he acknowledged.

After a four-month medical leave that ended in early 2021, he was anxious to return to work. On his first day back, he made a simple suggestion to the owner of the factory he was inspecting. In a split second, the man erupted into a verbal rant riddled with profanities.

To La Grone, the walk of 150 feet to reach the exit door felt like an eternity. The business owner followed him, yelling the entire way, while the office staff stared in stunned disbelief.

“I did everything that I could to try to calm him down,” said La Grone. “I didn’t overreact because I’ve learned that that type of behavior does not help the situation.”

Over the years, La Grone said he has worked hard to minimize his temper. He said that resources from jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were particularly useful in dealing with stress, controlling his anger and remaining calm rather than becoming provoked.

“Imitating the good examples of others and applying Bible principles has helped me to remain calm when under pressure,” he said.