Is it he sort of 'red rage' sudden anger?
This is sometimes known as an amygdala hijack
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala_hijack
It's a short path in the human brain that triggers a fight or flight response before you have time to think about it - if you have a fear of spiders say it's the same reason that that reaction is so fast the moment you see a hairy leg!
This is why count to ten helps - it gives your rational brain time to get a grip
If you let an amygdala hijack take you you often do or say things immediatly and then you're emotionally investde in your position - it becomes difficult to back down without losing face.
Understanding that we all have this short instinctive path is important because then you can try to put the brakes on - whether it's go for a walk or count to ten it doesn't really matter you have to find a coping strategy to let the rational part of your mind to get back in control over the 'lizard brain' bit.