In less than 48 hours, former JetBlue flight attendant Steve Slater has gone from being just another wage slave in the service industry to being an American folk hero, with his notoriety spreading worldwide.
In his obscenity-laden tirade and dramatic departure down an airplane emergency exit slide, he has captured the anger of the American service employee the same way the movie Clerks did more than a decade ago. Slater has become the standard bearer for the nametag wearing blue-collar employee – but is the tag “hero” misplaced?
Anger management expert Janet Pfeiffer thinks so.
“Anger is a choice, not an inevitability,” said Pfeiffer, author of The Secret Side of Anger (www.PfeifferPowerSeminars.com <http://www.pfeifferpowerseminars.com/> ). “After all, most folks don’t like getting arrested, and most customers don’t like being ‘JetBlued.’ Most stressed out workers have a lack of understanding of the root cause of their anger which further leads to conflict and a miserable on-the-job experience and in some cases, classic flameouts like the JetBlue incident. It’s not just about angry workers or unruly customers, but it’s also about employers recognizing the warning signs and taking steps to equip their employees with the tools to defuse potentially explosive situations.”
Pfeiffer, a certified domestic violence counselor and motivational speaker, believes that while expressing anger is perfectly acceptable and essential for our well being, the manner in which we do so is equally as important. It is never permissible to use anger to hurt, berate or threaten another person. Nor is it acceptable to use anger to damage property. Anger can, and needs to be, expressed with confidence and respect.
While most of us can relate to Slater's anger, making a hero of him puts society at risk for copycat behaviors and can have long term, far reaching, and possibly devastating consequences. We need to send a clear message that this type of behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. We can all empathize with his frustration and anger.
In his obscenity-laden tirade and dramatic departure down an airplane emergency exit slide, he has captured the anger of the American service employee the same way the movie Clerks did more than a decade ago. Slater has become the standard bearer for the nametag wearing blue-collar employee – but is the tag “hero” misplaced?
Anger management expert Janet Pfeiffer thinks so.
“Anger is a choice, not an inevitability,” said Pfeiffer, author of The Secret Side of Anger (www.PfeifferPowerSeminars.com <http://www.pfeifferpowerseminars.com/> ). “After all, most folks don’t like getting arrested, and most customers don’t like being ‘JetBlued.’ Most stressed out workers have a lack of understanding of the root cause of their anger which further leads to conflict and a miserable on-the-job experience and in some cases, classic flameouts like the JetBlue incident. It’s not just about angry workers or unruly customers, but it’s also about employers recognizing the warning signs and taking steps to equip their employees with the tools to defuse potentially explosive situations.”
Pfeiffer, a certified domestic violence counselor and motivational speaker, believes that while expressing anger is perfectly acceptable and essential for our well being, the manner in which we do so is equally as important. It is never permissible to use anger to hurt, berate or threaten another person. Nor is it acceptable to use anger to damage property. Anger can, and needs to be, expressed with confidence and respect.
While most of us can relate to Slater's anger, making a hero of him puts society at risk for copycat behaviors and can have long term, far reaching, and possibly devastating consequences. We need to send a clear message that this type of behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. We can all empathize with his frustration and anger.
However, it is irresponsible to hold others accountable for his poor behavior. Anger is a choice and is based more on our perception than the reality of what is occurring.
As adults, we all need to access the situation we're in, decide if it is worth getting upset over and choose the best possible way to resolve it rather than just react to it. And the solution does not involve rage and violence.
“One can choose a life of anger, fighting, pain and suffering or the opposite: peace, happiness, healthy relationships, success,” she added. “I think it’s important to erase the anger reflex from our lives, and eliminate blame and self pity. It’s actually quite easy to choose inner peace and serenity as a way of life. Angry outbursts may get you your 15 minutes of fame but the long-term consequences are anything but glamorous. Some believe that if you have your health you have everything. I believe when you have inner peace you have it all.”
About the Author:
As adults, we all need to access the situation we're in, decide if it is worth getting upset over and choose the best possible way to resolve it rather than just react to it. And the solution does not involve rage and violence.
“One can choose a life of anger, fighting, pain and suffering or the opposite: peace, happiness, healthy relationships, success,” she added. “I think it’s important to erase the anger reflex from our lives, and eliminate blame and self pity. It’s actually quite easy to choose inner peace and serenity as a way of life. Angry outbursts may get you your 15 minutes of fame but the long-term consequences are anything but glamorous. Some believe that if you have your health you have everything. I believe when you have inner peace you have it all.”
About the Author:
Janet Pfeiffer is a leading authority in the field of anger management and conflict resolution. As an award-winning author, Janet also serves as a consultant to such organizations as the U.S. Army, U.S. Postal Service, AT&T, Hoffman-La Roche, Rutgers University, Carnival Cruise Lines, United Way, YWCA, New Jersey Education Association, Kiwanis and more.
