RESENTMENT

The mood of resentment can result from a judgment that something unfair has been done to me deliberately by someone else and have no power to do anything about it. It can also emerge when we reject obvious or verifiable facts as this restricts our capacity to think or act differently. Indeed, resentment can lead to detachment, avoidance and even social isolation to put distance between themselves and the object of their resentment and even plot revenge. Watch out for sabotage.

Getting into this mood state can make our problems worse as resentment affects our attitude and prevents us from moving on. Rather than dwelling on things we cannot change it is better that we focus on how others are reacting and observing their ability to make different assessments of the situation. This can help them to talk and act from a more optimistic attitude. Positive emotions can be triggered by a desire to learn new responses to habitual feelings as they arise. The alternative can be brittle politeness and coldness. What’s wanted is justice – at any cost.