Plain
Seneca — The Senator

No one wants to delay their anger. But waiting is the best cure for it. Delay lets the first hot flash cool down. It gives the dark cloud in your mind time to clear — or at least thin out. Some of the things that drive you crazy will seem less serious after a while. Not even a day — sometimes just an hour. Some problems will disappear completely. Even if waiting doesn't help anything else, at least your response will look thoughtful instead of angry. If you want to understand what's really happening, give it time. You can't see clearly when you're all stirred up.

On Anger, Book 3, Section 12 Book 3 · 38 of 121
Calm Your Mind Facing Hardship
Seneca — The Senator Original

No one will postpone his anger: yet delay is the best remedy for it, because it allows its first glow to subside, and gives time for the cloud which darkens the mind either to disperse or at any rate to become less dense. Of these wrongs which drive you frantic, some will grow lighter after an interval, not of a day, but even of an hour: some will vanish altogether. Even if you gain nothing by your adjournment, still what you do after it will appear to be the result of mature deliberation, not of anger. If you want to find out the truth about anything, commit the task to time: nothing can be accurately discerned at a time of disturbance.

On Anger, Book 3, Section 12 Book 3 · 38 of 121
Seneca — The Senator

Sometimes a person's age or situation makes it wise or kind to forgive them and let their offense go. Put yourself in their shoes. Right now, we think too highly of ourselves. This makes us quick to anger. We're happy to do things to others that we'd never tolerate if someone did them to us.

On Anger, Book 3, Section 12 Book 3 · 37 of 121
Human Nature Doing The Right Thing
Seneca — The Senator Original

In some cases the age, in others the worldly fortunes of the culprit may render it humane or advantageous to bear with him and put up with what he has done. Let us put ourselves in the place of him with whom we are angry: at present an overweening conceit of our own importance makes us prone to anger, and we are quite willing to do to others what we cannot endure should be done to ourselves.

On Anger, Book 3, Section 12 Book 3 · 37 of 121
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Ancient philosophy, in plain English.

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