Too much anger

All my life I have had a temper. There were even times when I was angry, I would realize that I had no reason to be angry, but I chose to stay angry anyway. I thought it made me feel “better” (or actually, powerful). People around you want to placate you when you are obviously angry. They stay out of your way and are very likely to do what you want.It didn’t feel right, though. It felt like I was doing something wrong. But I felt like I couldn’t do much about it. Everyone gets angry, right?When I discovered Buddhism, I found that I certainly could do something about it. Everytime I feel angry I try to stop and think. There is almost always a mis-understanding at the root of it. Now, when I would normally get angry, I start asking questions. Did I understand what you said? What assumptions are you making? What assumptions am I making? What is the real reason you said that? What is the real reason I said that? It works incredibly well.My act of kindness is to everyday, in every conversation, find a way out of anger.And…If you don’t want to be lied to, then tell the truth, always. That is kind as well.