#there are academic challenges and tricky interpersonal relationships and demanding commitments and so many stresses

[thevalleyisjolly]

It seems to me like there's a particular element of hatred that ties in with the rage from the rage crystals. Anyone can be angry and it's literally the defining feature of barbarians that they learn how to harness their rage in service of a goal. But with the rage crystals, it's as if it stokes up existing feelings such as discontent, jealousy, inferiority, or perceived unfairness directed at a particular target, and heightens them until it becomes full-on hatred. You're no longer just angry about something or someone in your life. You hate it with an all-consuming, personal ardour that eclipses any attempt at moderation or abatement. Anything connected with the object of your contempt is guilty by association; every action appears through the most bad-faith lens regardless of intention or truth. It isn't a mindless rage, but rather a targeted personal hatred that feeds off of a person's existing feelings and spurs them to take aggressive action. It's not enough just to stew in silence or work out your anger by yourself. You have to do something about this problem in your life, and you have to specifically do something to the problem because they are the reason why everything is wrong. If only they were gone or dead or humiliated or dethroned, everything would be better. At least until the next problem comes along. Because that's the thing about being a D&D adventurer. There's always going to be another antagonist once this quest is over.