ABSTRACT
A conflict without closure lives on as an irritant in a system. People can experience the aftermath of conflict for a long time. Anger, a secondary emotion, is fueled by primary emotions such as fear, hurt, and disappointment. There are those who experience anger as part of their general personality style (trait anger), and others become angry only as situations may warrant (state anger). Through emotional training programs, such as OFTEN, individuals can learn to express emotions in productive ways instead of angry outbursts. How individuals express regret for their behaviors can be understood through the types of apologies. Some express genuine remorse through sincere apologies, whereas others may only regret having been caught, blame others, or issue fake apologies. Those who have been wronged may choose to forgive. Unforgiveness has physical and mental health consequences. Forgiveness is a process and not a single event. To forgive does not necessarily mean interpersonal reconciliation. Reconciliation repairs a relationship that has been broken.
