Should the Deities of Mythology Have Attend Anger Management Courses?

Almost all of them, yes. From Zeus and the Greco-Roman pantheon to Allah and the northerners, including Thor, Odin, and the Egyptians like Anubis and Osiris. Even Shiva from the Hindu pantheon falls into some category of instability. But should the gods of human history have been required to attend anger management courses?

The Gods as Projections of Human Nature

The gods are merely projections of humans on a grand scale. So the question becomes, 'should humans attend anger management courses?' While we would all like to believe that our beloved gods are humble and wise, many of them, if not most, possess immense egos, as large as planets.

Examining the Gods' Egos

A god with a massive ego thinks they are very important and valuable. Yet, such an ego arises from fear and defensiveness. The bigger your ego is, the less likely you are to admit when you are wrong. Being analyzed by a professional therapist is like opening yourself up for close inspection and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. It seems highly unlikely that a supreme deity would surrender his ego or reveal his true self.

Imagining a Roomful of Gods in Therapy

Envision a roomful of gods from the ancient Greek pantheon, such as Zeus, put together in a cramped space for therapy. The god in charge would obviously be Zeus—the sky god, carrier of justice, and embodiment of moral authority. The therapist who dares to put Zeus on the spot in front of the other gods would occupy the most dangerous position in the world. Zeus's legendary anger wreaked havoc; he hung Hera from the heavens with golden shackles and transformed Lycaon into a wolf along with his offspring. He may have had a good reason on both occasions, but it was still formidable.

One of the goals of psychoanalytic therapy is to enhance the functioning of the ego by helping the individual become less controlled by biological drives or the demands of the superego. However, the gods are frequently depicted as driven by human appetites and desires. Furthermore, they possess superhuman powers that make their human-like follies a terror to behold. Moreover, they are unrestrained by morality and the social norms applicable to humans.

Forced to undergo anger management courses, I believe the process would unleash the fury of these mighty gods. They would argue that it is beneath them and that their time would be better spent impregnating unsuspecting lovers, inflicting suffering upon the less powerful, and getting a kick out of doing so—alongside playing the flute or telling stories. Thus, while anger management courses might be beneficial for humans, the divine might find such a process more terrifying than enlightening.