Plain
Seneca — The Senator

All of this isn't real anger — it's just something that looks like anger. It's like children who want to hit the ground after they fall on it. They often don't even know why they're mad. They're just angry for no reason, without being hurt by anyone. But they still act as if someone wronged them. They want to punish someone for it. So they get fooled by fake attacks. They calm down when people pretend to cry and beg for forgiveness. This way, fake hurt gets healed by fake revenge.

On Anger, Book 1, Section 2 Book 1 · 6 of 69
Human Nature Calm Your Mind
Seneca — The Senator Original

Everything of this sort is not anger, but the semblance of anger, like that of boys who want to beat the ground when they have fallen upon it, and who often do not even know why they are angry, but are merely angry without any reason or having received any injury, yet not without some semblance of injury received, or without some wish to exact a penalty for it. Thus they are deceived by the likeness of blows, and are appeased by the pretended tears of those who deprecate their wrath, and thus an unreal grief is healed by an unreal revenge.

On Anger, Book 1, Section 2 Book 1 · 6 of 69
Seneca — The Senator

What if you moved beyond looking at individual victims of anger to see entire crowds cut down by the sword? What about whole populations slaughtered by soldiers turned loose on them, or entire nations condemned to die together in one great destruction? We act as though these people had either escaped our control or shown contempt for our authority. But why does the crowd get angry at gladiators? Why is it so unfair as to feel wronged when gladiators don't die cheerfully? The crowd thinks it's being disrespected. Through their looks, gestures, and shouting, they transform themselves from mere spectators into enemies.

On Anger, Book 1, Section 2 Book 1 · 5 of 69
Facing Hardship Human Nature
Seneca — The Senator Original

What, if you were to pass from the consideration of those single men against whom anger has broken out to view whole assemblies cut down by the sword, the people butchered by the soldiery let loose upon it, and whole nations condemned to death in one common ruin . . . . as though by men who either freed themselves from our charge or despised our authority? Why, wherefore is the people angry with gladiators, and so unjust as to think itself wronged if they do not die cheerfully? It thinks itself scorned, and by looks, gestures, and excitement turns itself from a mere spectator into an adversary.

On Anger, Book 1, Section 2 Book 1 · 5 of 69
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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