An action comitted in anger is an action doomed to failure.
Interpretation
Acts taken in anger often lead to poor outcomes and regret.
This quote by Genghis Khan emphasizes the consequences of letting emotions, particularly anger, drive our decisions. It reminds us that actions taken in a heated state are usually not well-considered and can lead to negative results, urging individuals to pause and reflect before acting in anger to avoid future failures.
In practice
During a team meeting when discussing the importance of maintaining professionalism, one might quote Genghis Khan's thoughts on anger.
Heaven grew weary of the excessive pride and luxury of China... I am from the Barbaric North. I wear the same clothing and eat the same food as the cowherds and horse-herders. We make the same sacrifices and we share.. our riches. I look upon the nation as a new-born child and I care for my soldiers as though they were my brothers.
It is not sufficient that I succeed - all others must fail.
With Heaven's aid I have conquered for you a huge empire. But my life was too short to achieve the conquest of the world. That task is left for you
I hate luxury. I exercise moderation…It will be easy to forget your vision and purpose one you have fine clothes, fast horses and beautiful women. [In which case], you will be no better than a slave, and you will surely lose everything.
The strength of a wall is neither greater nor less than the courage of the men who defend it.
If my body dies, let my body die, but do not let my country die.
The intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous, the sensible man hardly anything.
I used many times to touch my own chest and feel, under its asthmatic quiver, the engine of the heart and lungs and blood and feel amazed at what I sensed was the enormity of the power I possessed. Not magical power, but real power. The power simply to go on, the power to endure, that is power enough, but I felt I had also the power to create, to add, to delight, to amaze and to transform.
If we could be twice young and twice old we could correct all our mistakes.
Creditors have better memories than debtors.
No man was ever so completely skilled in the conduct of life, as not to receive new information from age and experience.
When you are ignorant about something, to know that you are ignorant about it - that is knowledge.
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