Are You a Supernova or a Black Hole When You're Mad?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Are You a Supernova or a Black Hole When You're Mad?
Image: Pixabay by KELLEPICS

About This Quiz

Humans have been fascinated by the stars since the first time we looked up at night. Look at them for a moment and they appear to twinkle, remaining stationary. Look up again several hours later, though, and you will see the stars have moved. Ancient people wondered how this was possible. They ascribed all manner of characteristics to the heavenly bodies. Some, they thought, were the souls of ancient heroes, others were gods or monsters. Some described the will of gods, and others were signs and omens. Of this last group, several movements in the sky were noted – among them, supernovas.

Supernovas are the explosions of stars. When a star dies in this way, it collapses until it explodes, suddenly and violently, creating the perfect environment for the creation of new stars and planets. Some elements we have on Earth could only come into existence in the heart of a supernova. Supernovas are entertaining to watch, bright and beautiful.

Black holes, on the other hand, are a modern discovery. Einstein built on the ideas of Pierre-Simon Laplace, theorizing the existence of black holes in 1915. Since Cygnus X-1 was theorized as a black hole in the 1970s, people have been fascinated with these strange ex-stars. Black holes destroy, but, unlike supernovas, they implode, consuming all matter and radiation, even light. The escape velocity of a black hole (the speed needed to escape its gravitational pull) is greater than even the speed of light.

When you get mad, which way does your rage cut? Are you a black hole or a supernova? Skip your anger management book and take this quiz to find out!

Who sets you off at work?
My cubemate
My boss
No one in particular
Everyone
How much do you enjoy being mad?
I hate it!
I love it!
It can feel good, but usually doesn't.
I both glory in my anger and seethe because of it.
How would you react if you dropped your phone, breaking its screen?
Get very still, vibrating with anger
Scream and yell, throwing the phone into the ground again and again
Curse and get in touch with my warranty carrier
Vibrate until I explode with screams

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How do you respond when you discover an unpleasant medical fact?
I groan about it in private, looking it up on WebMD over and over again.
I complain about it to everyone.
I keep it to myself, unless I can talk to my doctor about it.
I obsess over it day and night, talking about it to everyone and anyone.
When anger first hits you, where do you feel it?
The pit of my stomach
My eyes and ears
My shoulders
My heart
How long does anger stay with you?
Days
Only a moment
It depends on the source
On and off in fits for weeks

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Have you ever been diagnosed with a clinical anger problem?
Not officially
Yes, after a few... episodes...
Not at all
Yes, and I've been ordered to get treatment.
How do you typically express anger when you're on your own, at home?
I call anyone who will listen to suck up their energy, like a vampire.
I do something physical, like going for a hard run or hitting a heavy bag.
I curse, then try to do something creative.
I rope others into coming over so I can vent at them like a squad of therapists.
How do you usually vent your rage when you're at work and constrained by the rules of the workplace?
Spread rumors
Hold it in until I'm in my car, then scream
I take an early lunch and eat my feelings.
Find other people aligned as I am and turn them against the source of my rage

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What is your reaction when you drive home and find that someone has parked in your driveway?
Being passive-aggressive, I box them in.
Call the police to have the car towed
Try to find out what's going on
Key the car blocking my driveway
How likely are you to take out your anger on a subordinate?
Very likely
Very unlikely
I would never do that! That's awful!
They're such easy targets...
Do you know when your rage is apparent to others?
No, I can't often tell.
Of course! I'm acting out!
Not always
Probably. You'd notice my behavior.

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When you are seething with anger, how does it affect your work?
I waste time stewing.
I tend to exhaust myself.
I have trouble concentrating.
I can't work at a time like this! ARGH!
What would you do if you returned home to find your dog walker had failed in their duties, and your dog had made a mess in your home?
I would tell all of the dog walker's other clients.
I would scream at the dog walker in front of the dog.
I would assume something terrible had happened to the dog walker and call to find out if I can help!
I would chew out the dog walker in front of my neighbors.
Are you more or less likely to talk to a stranger when you are mad?
Much more likely
Totally unlikely
Neither more or less likely
"Talk" implies a dialogue, but I would only monologue.

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When you are mad about something that happened in your workplace, how does that express itself at home?
I weird out my spouse or roommate until they ask me what's going on, and then I vent at them.
I immediately blow up when I get home and then feel fine.
I leave it all at work.
I bring home a total maelstrom of chaos and fury, and break things.
If you got mad enough to lash out at an inanimate object, what would you do if a plate came to hand?
Squeeze it until it shatters
Throw it at a wall
Eat off it until I feel better
Snap it in half and spike both pieces into the floor
What do you do when you get home at the end of a long, hard day at work and realize you're locked out?
Yank at the door until it breaks
Break a window to get in
Call the locksmith
Kick over the flowers in my yard

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What productive thing, if anything, does your anger produce?
Fantasies
I have to clean a lot.
Nothing
I find out who my real friends are.
What physical symptoms does anger cause in your body?
A feeling of cold tension
Raised heart rate
Fight or flight response
I black out and can't remember what I did when I lashed out.
How do people react when you are visibly angry?
They steer clear.
They run away.
They ask me what's wrong.
They run for their lives!

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What happens to you when your computer crashes, losing large amounts of your work, forever?
Argh! I stare daggers into the screen until I can see individual pixels, then call tech support to vent at them.
I bash my desk with my hands, knocking things over.
I curse and cry.
I weep as I smash the keyboard until it is unusable.
Given time off from the thing that makes you angry, how do you deal with your rage?
I nurse it like a newborn baby.
It passes very quickly.
It fades over time.
The initial heat goes away, replaced with a hard grudge.
What would you turn to in order to calm down?
Yoga
Weightlifting
Running
Revenge!

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Who do you turn to in your life to calm you down when you get mad?
No one
My significant other
My best friend
My therapist
What job activities become difficult when you get mad?
Strategic thinking
Detail organization
Talking
Everything that doesn't involve tearing paper or complaining
What normally enjoyable activities lose their luster when the red mist descends?
Athletics
Socializing
Sleeping
Everything

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How does anger affect your overall job performance?
It slows me down.
It's a blip, that's all.
It reduces my productivity for a short time.
It gets me fired.
How often do you get very angry?
Very rarely, but I hold on hard
Every once in a while, but only for a short time
Almost never
Frequently and at odd intervals
What are the odds that when you get mad, you'll lash out at your boss?
No way
Pretty good
Zero! I'm not going to do that! It's career suicide!
Excellent! The boss deserves all my wrath!

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You Got: