Most Beloved Privileged, Upper-Middle-Class, Needlessly Angry, Late-Twenty-Something White Guy,

At some point almost everyone goes through a time where they’re angry. Maybe your family was killed by a drunk driver, maybe you’ve been jilted by a lover, maybe you’ve seen or experienced a horrible injustice, etc. These things happen to everyone and it’s okay for people to have emotions in response. In fact, it’s pretty healthy to express these emotions to better deal with the pain of what’s going on.

Additionally, is not unusual for a general sense of anger/frustration to strike adolescents anywhere from the mid-to-late teenage years as they start becoming exposed to the world around them. Perhaps they are angry because they’ve realized that their parents [and/or adults in general] are flawed human beings just like all of us, perhaps they’re angry because they see the inherent flaws in organized religion and blind tradition, perhaps they’re suddenly angry at societal norms, perhaps they’re angry that they’re not getting laid. Again, whatever the case, it’s perfectly normal and natural to have these feelings as it is a sign of becoming an adult and learning to accept realities and express one’s own viewpoint independent of those imposed from immediate guardians and authorities.

But around the time people hit their early-20’s this anger begins to wane and morph into a passion to make things better in their lives. For example, angry white young men have been responsible for brilliant forward movement in art forms, most recognizably the emerging British punk scene in the late 70’s and the glorious grunge era of the 90’s but also including the anti-establishment rock of the 1960’s-70’s. (We’re going to forget about crap bands like Creed and Limp Biskit. Most people have forgotten about them anyway.) This is not just limited to the art world of course; most people generally find a way to transfer their anger into something productive and self-empowering. Maybe someone who is angry about the justice system goes into practicing law or law enforcement, perhaps someone who somehow believes that killing people in Iraq is making up for the World Trade Center Attacks enlists in the military, maybe someone disillusioned with society begins writing literature that will hold a mirror up to societal norms… These people have taken their general anger and, instead of flailing around proclaiming it and acting like they’re superior or worthy of special treatment because of their angry attitudes, have moved it into a healthy forum in which to drive their life’s work. So really, people feeling anger, frustration, etc. is an imperative asset to the growth and forward motion of humanity in a major way. (Obviously it can also be incredibly destructive but I’m just trying to set the tone of empathy here so we’re not going to delve into that at the moment.)

However. Sitting around making generally angry, hateful statements and swinging your fists at no one in particular in hopes to rile someone up and defend your ongoing angst during your late twenties is just pathetic. Seriously. It’s reminiscient of those kids who dressed all weird and “goth” (God, I loathe that term… it’s a form of ARCHITECTURE, people.) in high school just so the authorities they claimed to be fighting against would reprimand them and pay attention to them. It just screams, “LOOK AT ME! I’M IMPORTANT, DAMMIT!” and is an unbelievably textbook juvenile behavior. In fact, doing nothing but posting pointless, irrelevant controversial statements about your love for Satan on your Facebook status and telling no one in particular to “deal with it” (lame) and beating the shit out of strangers at bars who may look at you strangely (which I’m pretty sure is why you made yourself look like that in the first place) is even more pathetic because you’re way way past the age where that sort of behavior is normal and when most of your peers kind of moved on.

You don’t look intelligent.
You don’t look “edgy” (my least favorite adjective).
You don’t look superior.
You don’t look tough.
You don’t look innovative or revolutionary.
You don’t look like an intellectual.

You look like a sad moron screaming for attention 12 years too late out of blatant insecurity.

And the thing is that while you’re picking fights with people your random shock-value-inducing comments may have offended, after your petty spat with them is over and they’ve dismissed you as an idiot, you’re still going to be sitting around loathing yourself and feeling lonely and angry about it. And you’re old enough to know that you really don’t have anyone to blame for your perpetual angst but yourself.

See, that’s the thing. You didn’t grow up without a house or food or basic necessities; you lived in a nice neighborhood with kind, church-going, small-business-owning parents who are still married after some 30+ years. You aren’t being “held down by the Man”; you’re an educated white dude! In America! In 2009! There is literally NOBODY in your immediate, self-centered world who is working against you except yourself and your stupid, outdated, pathetic, disoriented, empty, immature, hate-filled anger.

Jesus, you must be exhausted.

Might I recommend spending your energy and your life on something you and your family can actually be proud of? I guarantee that if you start, the anger will probably dissipate on its own, which would really benefit your not making an ass of yourself for the rest of your life and that’s something we can all agree would be a relief. Plus, it would help to stop the stereotype that our generation’s white guys are just a bunch of damned spoiled whiners.

Most sincerely,
Castallare

*Although this was inspired by the actions of one particular person, I’m addressing the missive to anyone who fits the bill.