Quote of the Day – Anger

 

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. – Mark Twain

Anger, as Twain points out, must be controlled to be effective. Otherwise it corrodes and destroys the wielder. It was true in ancient times. That was a theme in The Illiad, the wrath of Achilles. It remains true today. Look at the perpetual anger of the Never Trumpers and the Woke Folk. They are so busy being angry they do not seem to enjoy life.

It is why forgiveness is a central part of Christianity. Forgiveness requires you to let go of your anger and that you put it behind you. Forgiveness does not preclude punishment of those you forgive. It requires punishment to be proportionate to the harm inflicted, and that once it is finished, you leave your anger behind. Nor does forgiveness require future trust. Trust has to be earned, and cannot be gained through simple forgiveness.

Yes, anger is sometimes necessary. I was angry at what the Biden Administration was doing to this country throughout his administration. Rightfully so. Yet I tried to focus that anger into constructive purposes, particularly towards finding and supporting worthwhile conservative candidates in upcoming elections and replacing Biden as president at the earliest opportunity to prevent his doing further harm.

I recognized that lashing out blindly in anger furthered the goals of the Progressives and not my own purposes. (If people disagreed, I tried to persuade them rather than condemn them. It was hard at times.) Others did not and found themselves damaged by the corrosive power of their own anger.

Now that the storm has passed, it is easy to assume there will be no future need for anger. Yet circumstances will arise meriting future anger. The important thing is to channel and control that anger – to dominate it rather than allowing it to dominate you. To turn it towards constructive purposes.

Will that be easy? Of course not. Nothing truly worthwhile is easy. Yet the measure of being an adult is how you master the difficult and master yourself.

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  1. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Ephesians 4:26

    Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

    • #1
  2. E. Kent Golding Moderator
    E. Kent Golding
    @EKentGolding

    Trump and his supporters seem plenty Angry also.  There is more than enough Anger to go around.

    • #2
  3. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Living well is the best revenge.

    — George Herbert, Outlandish Proverbs (1640)

    I am not tired of winning yet.

     

    • #3
  4. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):

    Trump and his supporters seem plenty Angry also. There is more than enough Anger to go around.

    The issue is not whether they are angry. It is whether that anger is focused constructively. Yes, some of them have allowed anger to corrode them. However, by their fruits you shall know them, and the fruits of the last five days seem largely to be positive. I’d say that pretty decisively answers whether they have focused their anger constructively.

    Especially President Trump.

    • #4
  5. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):

    Trump and his supporters seem plenty Angry also. There is more than enough Anger to go around.

    The issue is not whether they are angry. It is whether that anger is focused constructively. Yes, some of them have allowed anger to corrode them. However, by their fruits you shall know them, and the fruits of the last five days seem largely to be positive. I’d say that pretty decisively answers whether they have focused their anger constructively.

    Especially President Trump.

    This is what will be his most remembered trait.

    • #5
  6. David Foster Member
    David Foster
    @DavidFoster

    Some thoughts on anger, with particular reference to Lord Cardigan and Lord Lucan in the charge of the light brigade.

     

    • #6
  7. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Some thoughts on anger, with particular reference to Lord Cardigan and Lord Lucan in the charge of the light brigade.

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    • #7
  8. David Foster Member
    David Foster
    @DavidFoster

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    Yes, at the time I was a lot less positive on Trump than I soon became.  And his comments about Pam Geller, which I quoted in comments, were indeed pretty disturbing.

    • #8
  9. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    Yes, at the time I was a lot less positive on Trump than I soon became. And his comments about Pam Geller, which I quoted in comments, were indeed pretty disturbing.

    My view at the time was that Trump was an illusion whose time had come. I was wrong, something I realized after his election the first time. He convinced me through his actions. Others never conceded they were wrong. I remember one Ricochetti whom upon Trump’s election changed his icon to a button that states “I’m already against the next war.” Which, of course, did not come until after Trump left office. 

    The only thing harder to say than “I was wrong” is Worcestershire Sauce.

    • #9
  10. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    Yes, at the time I was a lot less positive on Trump than I soon became. And his comments about Pam Geller, which I quoted in comments, were indeed pretty disturbing.

    My view at the time was that Trump was an illusion whose time had come. I was wrong, something I realized after his election the first time. He convinced me through his actions. Others never conceded they were wrong. I remember one Ricochetti whom upon Trump’s election changed his icon to a button that states “I’m already against the next war.” Which, of course, did not come until after Trump left office.

    The only thing harder to say than “I was wrong” is Worcestershire Sauce.

    When Trump announced His initial run for president I made a comment Here on Ricochet that if He is elected, then America will become The Jerry Springer Show writ large. 

    Someone Here took Me to the woodshed (I don’t remember Who).

    Very soon after His victory I realized I was wrong and have supported Him ever since. I got it. I see it. The lightbulb above the head and everything.

    • #10
  11. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    Yes, at the time I was a lot less positive on Trump than I soon became. And his comments about Pam Geller, which I quoted in comments, were indeed pretty disturbing.

    My view at the time was that Trump was an illusion whose time had come. I was wrong, something I realized after his election the first time. He convinced me through his actions. Others never conceded they were wrong. I remember one Ricochetti whom upon Trump’s election changed his icon to a button that states “I’m already against the next war.” Which, of course, did not come until after Trump left office.

    The only thing harder to say than “I was wrong” is Worcestershire Sauce.

    When Trump announced His initial run for president I made a comment Here on Ricochet that if He is elected, then America will become The Jerry Springer Show writ large.

    Someone Here took Me to the woodshed (I don’t remember Who).

    Very soon after His victory I realized I was wrong and have supported Him ever since. I got it. I see it. The lightbulb above the head and everything.

    Please don’t capitalize Trump’s pronouns, his head barely goes through doors now.

    • #11
  12. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    Yes, at the time I was a lot less positive on Trump than I soon became. And his comments about Pam Geller, which I quoted in comments, were indeed pretty disturbing.

    My view at the time was that Trump was an illusion whose time had come. I was wrong, something I realized after his election the first time. He convinced me through his actions. Others never conceded they were wrong. I remember one Ricochetti whom upon Trump’s election changed his icon to a button that states “I’m already against the next war.” Which, of course, did not come until after Trump left office.

    The only thing harder to say than “I was wrong” is Worcestershire Sauce.

    When Trump announced His initial run for president I made a comment Here on Ricochet that if He is elected, then America will become The Jerry Springer Show writ large.

    Someone Here took Me to the woodshed (I don’t remember Who).

    Very soon after His victory I realized I was wrong and have supported Him ever since. I got it. I see it. The lightbulb above the head and everything.

    Please don’t capitalize Trump’s pronouns, his head barely goes through doors now.

    Not just Trumps, but all. Habit.

    Been doing it since I found Algore’s information super highway.

    • #12
  13. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    Yes, at the time I was a lot less positive on Trump than I soon became. And his comments about Pam Geller, which I quoted in comments, were indeed pretty disturbing.

    My view at the time was that Trump was an illusion whose time had come. I was wrong, something I realized after his election the first time. He convinced me through his actions. Others never conceded they were wrong. I remember one Ricochetti whom upon Trump’s election changed his icon to a button that states “I’m already against the next war.” Which, of course, did not come until after Trump left office.

    The only thing harder to say than “I was wrong” is Worcestershire Sauce.

    When Trump announced His initial run for president I made a comment Here on Ricochet that if He is elected, then America will become The Jerry Springer Show writ large.

    Someone Here took Me to the woodshed (I don’t remember Who).

    Very soon after His victory I realized I was wrong and have supported Him ever since. I got it. I see it. The lightbulb above the head and everything.

    Please don’t capitalize Trump’s pronouns, his head barely goes through doors now.

    https://ricochet.com/149591/ricochet-imponderables/#comments

     

    Sad. All the comments are gone.

    • #13
  14. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):

    Sisyphus (View Comment):

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    David Foster (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    The ten-year-old comments at the link are fascinating.

    Yes, at the time I was a lot less positive on Trump than I soon became. And his comments about Pam Geller, which I quoted in comments, were indeed pretty disturbing.

    My view at the time was that Trump was an illusion whose time had come. I was wrong, something I realized after his election the first time. He convinced me through his actions. Others never conceded they were wrong. I remember one Ricochetti whom upon Trump’s election changed his icon to a button that states “I’m already against the next war.” Which, of course, did not come until after Trump left office.

    The only thing harder to say than “I was wrong” is Worcestershire Sauce.

    When Trump announced His initial run for president I made a comment Here on Ricochet that if He is elected, then America will become The Jerry Springer Show writ large.

    Someone Here took Me to the woodshed (I don’t remember Who).

    Very soon after His victory I realized I was wrong and have supported Him ever since. I got it. I see it. The lightbulb above the head and everything.

    Please don’t capitalize Trump’s pronouns, his head barely goes through doors now.

    https://ricochet.com/149591/ricochet-imponderables/#comments

     

    Sad. All the comments are gone.

    Upgrades to the site software have frequently played hell with the comments. This one had 52 comments at one point. They’re all gone now.

    • #14
  15. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):

    Trump and his supporters seem plenty Angry also. There is more than enough Anger to go around.

    LOL I’m not angry . . .

    • #15
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