Well, I think the mind's detection that anger would be beneficial operates at lower-level, and that in a modern environment it can misfire. For instance, let us

Well, I think the mind's detection that anger would be beneficial operates at lower-level, and that in a modern environment it can misfire. For instance, let us say that an employer screws you over. Your primal instinct might be to get angry and make a big fuss. This is because in a more traditional environment, where everybody knows everybody, you need to get angry and fight for yourself, or else you will be seen as a pushover. Your primal instinct also recognizes there is no immediate danger to getting angry at your employer -- you can yell at them and raise a consequence without him beating you to a pulp. So your instinct says: "Get angry, defend your honor, it is in your interest to make a fuss." But in a modern environment, few people, if anybody, know that you were screwed over by your employer. So there is no need to put up a fight in order to defend your reputation. Furthermore, if you put up a fight, onlookers will not be close enough to the issue to know if you are right or wrong. All they will see is drama, and they will associate that drama with you, rightly or wrongly. You will make an enemy of your former employer. So all around, anger is a bad idea. So in the modern environment, Dale Carnegie advice applies. Also good advice for the modern world is Chris Matthew's adage: "Don't get mad, don't get even, get ahead." I also think that most modern bosses act in a sort of weak-willed fashion. Remember the classic scene from Office Space where the boss asks Peter to come in on Saturday? As typical for the modern boss, he says, "What's happening? So I'm going to need you to come in tomorrow, if you could be here around 9pm, that would be great." Rather than phrase it as an order, he makes it sound like he is asking for favor. Thus the boss doesn't pattern match your primal mind as being a boss. You have to reprogram your mind to understand that what he says is really an order, and not a favor. You have to reprogram your mind to treat your boss like a boss, and not like a peer you can get angry at.