Kamal Ghorui
Rage is part of the human psyche. It’s certainly a recurrent part of competitive sports, which funnel high emotions. So, a WTA tournament in Texas has unveiled a ‘rage room’ for players, where they can take out their frustrations, away from the cameras. Such rooms can be found in India too, where stressed citywallahs can “smash” their way to relaxation, for a pretty penny of course. Not that we didn’t have a way to process rage till we got these rooms. Adrenaline, cortisol, elevated heart rate, tensed muscles – sure, these are preparing a body for physical action. But how about going for a walk or a run? Scrubbing floors, cold showers, pranayam…there are so many alternatives to breaking things.
There are schools of thought that esteem rage, as a catalyst for progress. But Indian philosophical traditions emphasise something else. Rage is seen as fundamentally a destroyer of discernment. In a famous analogy, it’s like grasping a hot coal to throw at someone – you are harmed first. This is a fire to be respected, but not indulged. The goal is transformation, into purposeful, clear-eyed action. In tennis itself, Djokovic has famously collared emotional volatility through mindfulness training. Apropos Coco Gauff’s racket-smashing, which seems to have resulted in the Texas rage room, it’s true that there’s gender asymmetry. Men’s aggression is better tolerated. Still, the philosophers would say, as rage is not your enemy, so it should not be your master.
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