carved her name into the leather seats of his car with her key , smashed his headlights , and slashed holes in all of his tires (“ Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats ”). This is a very severe way to react if a person isn ’ t even certain whether or not they have been cheated on . Much of the way people react in these types of situations can be a result of the brain . According to the article “ Considering Anger from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective ,” reactive aggression is the most common behavioral expression of anger ( Blair ). Reactive aggression is said to be caused by a “ frustrating or threatening event and involves unplanned , enraged attacks on the object perceived to be the source of the threat / frustration ” ( Blair ). In the case of “ Before He Cheats ,” the girl takes her anger out on the car and not the source of the frustration , but it is still a way for her to get back at that source without physically harming him . Love can turn to hate very quickly after being betrayed . It was found that love and hate are very closely linked in the brain ( Harmon ). The areas in the brain , the putamen and insula , are activated both for hate and love ( Harmon ). This can cause a drastic shift in emotions if cheating occurs . Although anger and hate are two completely different terms , in regard to cheating the two usually go hand in hand . The brain plays a major role in how people react to frustration , anger , and hate .
“ Before He Cheats ” was written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear ( Horner ). They originally wrote the song thinking that it would be lighthearted and funny ( Horner ). They were showing that cheating is a problem in society , but trying to portray it in more of an upbeat way . They were not expecting Carrie Underwood to put her own twist on it like she did , but they were happy with how it turned out ( Horner ). When Carrie Underwood sings this song , she empowers her audience . It gives her listeners a way to connect with her and feel like they are not alone . People like to feel like other people have the same problems as them . This song gives women a sense of “ girl power .” It shows how women can come together against men who have done them wrong . Carrie Underwood shows this in her line in the song “ I might have saved a little trouble for the next girl ” (“ Carrie Underwood – Before He Cheats ”). This shows that women are backing each other up and trying to prevent cheating from happening to other girls . Another one of her goals was self-empowerment . She says the line “ the next time that he cheats , it won ’ t be on me .” This shows that she is a powerful and independent woman which all women like to feel like . Listening to “ Before He Cheats ” is very empowering to anyone , even if they have never been cheated on .
Revenge is a major aspect when it comes to anger . According to Sigmund Freud , the notion of catharsis can make revenge pleasurable ( Chester ). Catharsis is the process of releasing emotions which usually provides relief ( Chester ). In the case of revenge , catharsis is usually in the form of an aggressive act ( Chester ). “ Before He Cheats ” is the perfect example of this . The girl in the song releases all of her anger onto her ex-boyfriend ’ s car . In today ’ s society , catharsis through aggressive acts is usually seen as an acceptable way to deal with anger ( Chester ). Many people believe that revenge will make them feel better or provide relief for them , but how much better can someone actually feel after being cheated on ? It will usually take more than slashing a few tires to let go of that anger .
Revenge is not the only way to deal with anger . Santideva would not have agreed with Carrie Underwood ’ s song . He believed that anger did not allow for the mind to be at rest ( Lele ). It wouldn ’ t allow for peace , pleasure , happiness , sleep or satisfaction ( Lele ). For most people it would be hard to understand , but Santideva believes that when someone is wronged , they should be happy and not let anger overcome them ( Lele ). He thinks that everyone has the choice of whether or not they become angry , and that they should choose not to . For the majority of people , being cheated on would not result in a happy emotion , but Santideva would ’ ve liked to believe that it was possible .
Unfaithfulness in relationships has become a growing problem within society . The percent of the population that has cheated or been cheated on is much higher than it should be . It has created feelings of anger , hate , and frustration throughout society . Carrie Underwood ’ s song revealed the way that most people would react to being cheated on . She created a sense of girl power and self-empowerment through the way she delivers the song to her audience , which was unexpected by the two writers of the song . Although it might not be the best way to deal with a situation , revenge is a common theme of anger . It is shown to be rewarding for many people . “ Before He Cheats ” shows a major problem in society and the expected way that people react to this type of anger .
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