Anger is a "short madness": The Stoics' Secrets to Contain It

Anger is a

People get angry for any reason, from the most mundane, like someone stealing their parking space, to much more serious, like the terrible injustices in the world.

But the truth is that on a daily basis we usually get angry for trivial reasons, which is why the American Psychological Association (APA) has a section devoted solely to anger management. Interestingly, their proposals closely resemble one of the oldest treatises on wrath written by the Stoic philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca.



Seneca thought that anger was a brief madness, and that even in cases where it is justified, such as when we witness injustice or suffer it personally, we should never react by getting angry because, in his words: "other emotions affect our judgment, but anger affects our mental health, other emotions come in the form of soft attacks that go unnoticed, but man's mind is prone to suddenly fall into anger ”.

This philosopher was referring to the fact that, unlike the rest of emotions, often the intensity with which we react to anger is not proportionate to the cause that originated it. For example, if we won 200 euros in the lottery we would be happy, but if the euros were 500.000 we would be elated. The same goes for losses, the extent of our sadness or grief will depend on the degree of the loss and its significance. This does not happen with anger. We usually react disproportionately, regardless of the cause.

Social networks are a perfect means of verifying what Seneca said many centuries ago. Many people react with immense anger to any opinion that is beyond their own thought patterns. The problem is that anger, in addition to causing totally unnecessary harm to others, also affects those who suffer from it. In this regard, Seneca said: "anger is like an acid, it can do more damage to the container in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."



Epictetus's idea: to be like a rock

The good news is that we can learn to handle this "short madness". We can put into practice the advice of another Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, who instructed his students by telling them: “Remember that it is we who torment us, who create difficulties; that is, they are our opinions. For example, what does it mean to be insulted? Stand next to a rock and insult it, what do you get? If someone reacts to insults like a rock, what does the insulting person get with his words? "

He was right. It's obvious we're not rocks and developing this deadpan attitude towards insults takes time and a lot of practice, but once we get it done, things change. The most curious thing is that when someone insults us, but we refuse to follow the game, that person continues to accumulate anger while we maintain our serenity and inner peace. In practice, it is like refusing an "unwanted gift" that can only harm us.

Of course, there will always be those who say that anger is an adequate response to certain unfair situations, and that, in moderation, it can be a force that motivates us to act. However, this speech usually arises from the desire for revenge, another emotion that does not lead us to a positive conclusion, or from frustration and the feeling of not being able to take control in any other way than through force and violence.

As for moderate anger, Seneca used to say it's like talking about flying pigs: there simply is no such thing. Anger can never be moderate. When it comes to motivation, the Stoics preferred that we feel propelled into action by positive emotions, such as a desire to do justice, help someone, or make the world a better place. From this perspective, anger is unnecessary, and in fact, it often leads us to make bad decisions.



This does not mean that we should feel bad when it appears since it is an emotion and, as such, we have to validate it, but it is not necessary to hold on to it and let it grow.

5 tricks of the Stoic philosophers to manage anger

1. Do preventive meditation; it means that you should reflect on situations that normally trigger your anger. Then, decide how you will react when it happens again. Often resorting to visualization is of great help because it will allow you to manage that emotion in a harmless context and later, when it recurs, you will not lose your temper but you will know exactly how to behave.

2. Learn to detect the first signs of anger so that you can stop them in time. If you wait too long, the anger will explode and you won't be able to contain it. It will help you a lot to think of anger as if it were just clouds in your mind, they are there now, but if you don't cling to them they can follow their course carried by the wind.


3. Cultivate inner peace. If you are at peace with yourself, if you feel serene and calm, it will be difficult for the fuse of anger to ignite in you. On many occasions, anger is an expression of internal irritability and anger, so it is convenient to cultivate a state of inner relaxation and tranquility on a daily basis. Remember that a relaxed mind does not usually tend to get angry.

4. Practice cognitive distancing, or what Seneca calls "delaying" the response. It's about taking a breath when things threaten to get out of control, so you can take a psychological distance from the situation that allows you to respond wisely, instead of just reacting.

5. Change your body to affect your mood. Emotions affect the postures you adopt but you can also moderate emotions by changing your posture. For example, at the first signs of anger, it is convenient to lower your voice, try to take a deep breath and walk more slowly. These little signals will tell your brain that all is well and there is no need to respond in anger.


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