The psychological principle that the intensity of rage reveals the depth of the love or attachment that preceded it—anger and love are not opposites.
We rage at those and about things we care most deeply about. We are indifferent to what does not touch us. Mirabai's rage at Krishna—her accusations, her demands, her refusal of comfort without his presence—revealed the totality of her love. Rage is not the opposite of love; it is love's shadow, its darker expression. When someone says "I don't care anymore" after deep grief, they may be shutting down because the caring hurt too much. The examined heart recognizes that rage and love are not in opposition but in intimate relationship. A parent raging at a child is motivated by love and fear. A widow raging at a deceased spouse is raging because she loved them. A person raging at God (or life, or fate) is doing so because they trusted in goodness and feel betrayed. For those stuck in grief and anger, this concept is liberating: your rage is not a sign of spiritual failure or emotional immaturity. It is a sign that you have loved deeply. The rage is the other side of that love. Rather than trying to eliminate the anger, the examined heart asks: What does this rage tell me about what I value, what I have lost, who I have loved?
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