Plutarch

On Anger

  • I must constantly apply therapy to myself in life; to have immunity
  • reason must be the therapeutic reason
  • people burn to death in homes; like fire, the smoke kills us.
  • sea being tossed in storm is like mind with anger
  • avoid bitterness
  • rationality > anger
  • pay attention to early stages of anger
  • don’t fuel the fire; and i will put it out
  • DONT FUEL THE FIRE
  • lower my voice, smile, and stop looking stern (socrates) *** — move in the opposite direction of anger.
  • keep quiet; like anger were disease
  • Xerxes tried to flog the sea— fool.
  • understand anger by watching others (spartans watched drunkenness by watching slaves get drunk) ***
  • when I’m angry; be quiet ***
  • muscles to fight anger.
  • ‘oh dear, can’t you go further away to criticize me?’
  • Punishment isn’t divine and olympian— how to be olympian?
  • courage needs reason.
  • Block up my ears with wax (just in case) i get angry *** — pretend like i didn’t hear.
  • ‘stop crying and you can have it’ (to children)
  • people are ashamed of being bad***
  • reason > passion
  • Archery: we are taught not to miss (not to shoot) ***
  • if he is guilty today; he will be guilty tomorrow (wait punishment)
  • attribute negative action by ignorance, necessity, emotion , or accident (give benefit of the doubt)
  • don’t nit-pick in life ***
  • be easily pleased.
  • be happy to use any utensils; have no preference s***
  • ‘I knew my friend was not flawless’ / ‘i knew my wife was a woman’ / ‘i knew i had fathered a mortal’
  • Plato: “Am I not like that too?” ***
  • Cut back on my nosiness!
  • tiny writing hurts our eyes; avoid trivial matters!
  • Empedocles: ‘observe a fast from evil’ ***
  • ‘holy silence’ – no anger for a year!