Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath.
—Psalm 37:8
Voltaire said the way to judge a person is by the questions they ask. That, it seems to me, is especially true of the questions we ask of ourselves. Let’s look at some of those this week.
Question #1: Is anger going to make this better?
Sometimes we encounter people who spark anger: callous employers, crabby salespeople, exasperating know-it-alls, disrespectful children, or surly spouses. What’s causing a spike in your blood pressure?
An infuriating clash triggers anger that seems justified. But that doesn’t mean it’s wise to yield to it. The consequence of anger is usually more harmful than the circumstance that caused it.
Anger makes things worse. Always. It’s bad for your heart; bad for your mind; bad for those around you. Anger is bad. Period.
You win the fight you refuse to have.