Margaret,

I know this is not a trick question, so maybe lets start by exploring why you get angry, since that would determine whether it is legitamte or not.  First, there is never anything wrong with being angry, it is when anger leads to negative behavior that a person begins error and judgement goes out the door.  The behavior, usually a counter to the percieved assault upon yourself, ends up harming another.  Most often when a person gets angry it is due to the perceived actions or intent of another person.   The key word is perceived, because often the actions and intentions of others are misperceived.

What is referred to as mind reading is one of the errors many make that results in the faulty perception of a situation.  When you begin to tell your self the other person should have, or did, know something, that what they did was intentional, or that they did it because....or just to get back at you, then you engage in fabricating thoughts as if your were in their mind and know just why they committed the offense.

If you think about it, a lot of anger is due to feeling hurt or wronged.  While it is great to challenge perceptions with questions and explain how you feel (hurt) when someone hurts you and you become angry, on the path to seeking a solution, it is not ok to react with anger and rage with the attempt to hurt the other person in retribution.

Anger lets you know you have been hurt in some way and often self esteem plays its part.  With healthy self esteem, many assaults on character go unnoticed or are easily dismissed, because the person is confident in themselves and they are not going to be bruised by a few words or actions inteneded or perceived to demeen them.  With low self esteem, individuals are already hurting themselves and their character is fragile.  They are more easily hurt and prone to anger that is directed at others or internalized, which may then, at some point build and be taken out on a perceived equal or someone who is more submissive.

Anger can be legitimate but issues are best discussed assertively rather than countered by acts of aggression.  You must keep your head and explore the issue, before you can verify your feelings of anger are legitimate.  Even if you find there is a real reason to be angry, you still do not have the right to seek revenge.  Remember that anger is a secondary emotion.  The primary emotional reaction is the one that needs identifying and must be expressed in a conflict resolution.