It occurred to me the other day that anger boosts self confidence. I had never thought of it that way. Framed thus, though, it becomes more clear why chronic anger has beneficial effects for some people–and to a very limited extent I am one of them–who sometimes feel unequal to some situations.
I did martial arts for a long time, and one interesting thing I learned is that anger is not only not needed to fight effectively, it is often counterproductive. I suspect the best fighters absolutely get the fight-or-flight adrenaline rush, but know how to control it, and rationally direct their actions. This is confidence, which leads to competence.
I would argue that real anger is almost always a failng of some sort, although I am not sure if practically any of us can live full lives never feeling it. I know people who never express rage, and it limits them emotionally in other areas. It leads to tension, and a lack of self confidence. Far better to use anger as a tool than to fail to accomplish some needed task.
Goodness is always crooked, as Chuang Tzu would put it.