Seneca: Anger Is Brief Insanity

When was the last time you saw someone so angry that it was as if their soul had left their body? It’s easy to recognise anger when you see it in other people, but what about when you feel it yourself? How can you tell if you’re justifiable or out of control?

Do we all get angry for the same reasons, or does it differ from person to person? You might be surprised. While most people assume anger is a universal response to a negative situation, nuances are involved.

The intensity and persistence of your anger is indicative of something beyond a knee-jerk reaction. There are many layers to understanding your anger and how you react to stimuli in different situations.

Anger is one of those feelings we don’t like admitting we have. We tend to see it as a negative trait rather than an indicator of something wrong going on within us. People may feel angry when frustrated, upset, or even under emotional duress.

When we feel anger, the body releases adrenaline into the bloodstream. This can cause us to feel tense and anxious, which may lead us to lash out at other people or things in our environment.

“Anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy,” says Aristotle.

When we feel angry, it’s as if our mind locks and tosses away the key. We can no longer think clearly, our vision narrows, and we just see red. If you are like most people, you probably try to control your anger or keep it hidden because you fear that showing it will make you look weak, insecure or even crazy.

Anger is a reaction to feeling vulnerable, and it’s understandable when you feel cornered or pushed too far. But if you let anger consume you, it can lead to irrational behaviour and dangerous consequences.

And the longer you let anger build up inside you, the harder it is to snap out of it and return to rational thinking. In your moment of “temporary insanity”, you need your rational brain more than ever.

If you allow it to go on for too long, it gets the best of you, and you will regret your actions when the “madness” passes.

“Angry people are not always wise,” says Jane Austen.

While anger is often a negative experience, it can also be an important signal that something is wrong and that it needs to be addressed. But in moments of anger, be more mindful of your next action.

Anger impedes reason

“Anger is a short madness.” — Horace, a Roman poet

Seneca was one of the most important Roman philosophers, writing extensively on various subjects. His works have a lasting influence on Western thinking, influencing Christian theologians and Renaissance humanists.

Seneca’s ideas on anger are quite different from those we might hold today. He thought it was a form of madness — something that could befall anyone if they were unfortunate enough to let their guard down at the wrong moment.

How else would you define anger? It’s a powerful emotion that can bring out the worst in you. More often than not, it’s a destructive emotion — if not managed or controlled. “Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind,” argues Robert Green Ingersoll.

The Roman philosopher Seneca, who lived an extravagant lifestyle before becoming a stoic philosopher, also struggled with anger.

In his Letters to Lucilius, he explores why we get angry, what triggers our rage, and how to control it. He explains that although anger feels like an unstoppable force within us, it’s actually just an indication of something much smaller: our pride and vanity.

“Anger, says Seneca, is “brief insanity,” and the damage done by anger is enormous: “No plague has cost the human race more.” Because of anger, he says, we see all around us people being killed, poisoned, and sued; we see cities and nations ruined,” writes William B. Irvine in his book, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.

Anger can be a passionate and powerful emotion that can prompt us to take action, but it is also a state of mind that is easily triggered.

The stoics were well aware of how much power anger can have, so they would try to gain control over their emotions by practising meditative breathing and mindfulness.

They also recognised that anger often leads to feelings of rejection or betrayal, which can trigger more angry feelings. So, they would also try not to engage in these negative behaviours.

How to tame anger before it destroys you

“Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it. — Seneca

When you allow anger to hijack your life, it’s only a matter of time before your world erupts into chaos. Anger is an emotion that can be extremely destructive when left unchecked.

Left unchecked, anger will eat away at your self-esteem and destroy relationships with family members, friends and lovers.

By recognising the triggers for anger, we can avoid letting our emotions get out of hand. When you feel angry, there are several things you can do to help calm yourself down.

You can try taking deep breaths to slow down your heart rate and relax your muscles. You could also try to delay your response by changing your environment — distract your emotional brain.

“Practise cognitive distancing — what Seneca calls ‘delaying’ your response — by going for a walk, or retire to the bathroom, anything that will allow you a breather from a tense situation,” writes Massimo Pigliucci of Aeon.

“The greatest remedy for anger is delay,” says Seneca.

You can also try focusing on what is bothering you to understand the source of your anger better. You may also want to talk to someone about your feelings to vent and get some support.

Anger should never be allowed to control you or prevent you from making positive changes in your life. It is important to recognise the signs of anger in yourself and address them before they escalate out of control.

“We shouldn’t control anger, but destroy it entirely — for what control is there for a thing that’s fundamentally wicked?” says Seneca.

By taking small actions that are designed to help us cope with our emotions and stay calm, we can reduce the impact of anger on our lives.

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This psot was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.

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