Pssst...pass it on. Or maybe don't.

I wrote about thermodynamics a while back after I read a book about science and got all excited about seeing dry textbook stuff play out in the world. Same thing here, this time about Seth Godin's post on anger and thermodynamics.

Anger is like heat -- it transfers between people like heat transfers into matter. One hotheaded person weaving through traffic creates trail of hotheads and heated words behind him or her. With one important difference: you can't count on anger to dissipate the way heat does in a short amount of time. You know how quickly you can feel cold again when you head back out to the tubing hill after warming up in the hot chocolate shack? Very few of those drivers in the wake of the hothead will cool off that fast.

As an emotion, anger goes beyond the laws of thermodynamics and can trigger more heat when exchanged. We refer to "inflammatory words," to describe the lasting effect that anger can have. When passed from person to person, it can create a wildfire.

As a parent, I have witnessed how my anger ignites the emotions of my pre-teen daughter. There is a place for strong opinions and for saying no, but graciousness is always the better option. Graciousness spreads like a wildfire too. So think about this the next time you're ready to rip into someone, or toss anger into the dry leaves of a conversation or a traffic jam. What kind of lasting effect do you want to have on the world? Be cool...