“ANGER IS A BRIEF MADNESS”.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 5:05PM When we are young there is a certain madness to us all, our minds are clogged up with longing and loathing, we long to be good looking but loathe how we look, we long to be rich and famous but loathe that we are not clever enough, witty enough, confident enough to reach those heights. We are too interested in what’s within us to care about anything without. As we rail against the unfairness of the world anger and frustration can start to lay down deep roots, and if that anger is directed inward it can easily lead to depression. Buddha wrote “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal; intending to throw it at someone else, you are the one who gets burned”.
Anger can cloud your mind or suddenly make everything clear; it can destroy lives or be an agent for change. If anger is directed at people it can turn into hatred and become a need for revenge, it soon becomes a habit, the default reaction to all adversity.
If we harness our anger and direct its force towards the problem, it has a powerful energy that can be focussed on formulating solutions, and finding answers. The strength of our resolve to change the outcome can build up ripples of determination that spread far and wide so preparing us for what lies ahead in life. James Russell Lowell wrote “Usually when people are sad they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition, but when they get angry they bring about change”.
We all have hidden away a version of ourselves that is slightly unbalanced and teetering on the edge of anger at our lot in life, and though we may not be able to quell the rage we can use it as a motivation to bring about change, and to do the right thing.
“Events will take their course, it is no good of being angry at them; he is happiest who wisely turns them to the best account”. Euripides
Title quote by Horace