For a world without anger

Mona

Don’t be bitter, be better — is the funda that Dr Dean Van Leuvan has built his life upon. American Air Force captain-turned-procedures writer for the aerospace industry-turned an attorney, it was through this eclectic professional maze that Dean found his vocation – how to help people eliminate anger from life!

In Chandigarh, for one such workshop at 3rd International & 5th Indian Psychological Science Congress, Dean opens up on the topic close to his heart and more...

As an attorney Dean saw the implications of anger. Most of his clients had ‘anger’ issues, and if only that could be sorted!

“The primary goal is to maximise the quality of life and the natural instinct is to seek love. When a person is angry, s/he is not able to enjoy life,” opens up the man who is also called Dean of Peace. Anger costs one years of life, and is more injurious than even smoking, he warns.

Now, that getting angry is considered a normal human choice but with little attitude shift, we can attain the big leap from ‘bitter’ to ‘better’. He explains, “We have judgemental temperament, labelling things either good or bad. Now, if only we shift our thinking process from ‘bad’ to ‘problem’, and are confident, we can always find a ‘solution’ to the ‘problem’ thus removing anger from life.

In fact, he has three booklets—Relationships Without Anger, Parenting Without Anger, Workplace Without Anger telling people how to enjoy most of these essential aspects of life.

Combating depression

Depression is a common problem seeping through society and a sordid reflection of our life becoming more and more complex. “So much is put on a person nowadays that s/he is not able to cope up,” deems Dean. Now, if the emotional mind is unable to process logic, one’s rational capacity is diminished. But here is a way out. “Depression sets in when one doesn’t feel competent to handle challenges. The starting step is to realise that you have a choice. Feel confident and find solutions to the problems before the feelings of ‘worthlessness’ take over.”

Separation pangs

If depression is one problem plaguing society today, separation is another. Having conducted workshops on relationship issues, he rests the blame of increasing divorces on the ‘transitional’ phase of society. Here is his solution, “When two people come together in a relationship, the relationship has a life of its own. The two should put and discuss their aspirations, expectations from the bond and live it.”

Really, Trump as President?

Ask him this, and he chuckles. American society is going through a dysfunctional situation. There are lot of angry people in the country and Trump is feeding their anger for his personal gain. Up next, Dean wants to pass on all that he has learned to his fellow practitioners. “I am happy to work with teachers such as Roshan Lal Dahiya, director of the Congress he is attending, who can carry on the work to make this world a peaceful place.