SO GOOD QUOTES

Why hurt yourself by retaliating? Avoid succumbing to anger; keep yourself unharmed. You might ask, how is it possible to bear insults and abuse? I counter, why wouldn’t it be possible? Do words cause physical wounds, or inflict bruises on our bodies? Where is the harm to us? If we choose, we can endure it. Let’s establish a rule for ourselves not to be distressed, and we’ll manage.

Handle anger like fire—don’t let it scatter everywhere in your thoughts. Keep it in a deep recess of the mind, so the wind from opposing words won’t easily reach it. Let the wind that stirs it come from yourself, managing it with moderation and safety. If the wind comes from outside, it knows no limits and can set everything on fire.

Use [anger] like torches against those who wrong others or against the devil. [Anger is] necessary only when we must soften, mollify, and convict the soul, subduing obduracy when needed.

—St. John Chrysostom