Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the living, and her eyes they blind.
EpictetusRead
Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Anger is harmful in the moment and also leads to the development of a negative habit over time.
Epictetus emphasizes that anger is not just a fleeting emotion but a destructive force that can lead to habitual responses. When we allow ourselves to become angry, we not only face immediate harm but also cultivate a pattern that can lead to more anger in the future, suggesting the importance of self-control and awareness of our emotional responses.
Themes
AngerHabitEmotionSelf-ControlWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about emotional intelligence, one might cite this quote to underline the need to manage anger.
More from Epictetus
All quotes βLearn to distinguish what you can and can't control. Within our control are our own opinions, aspirations, desires and the things that repel us. They are directly subject to our influence.
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Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.
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Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always within your control. Sickness may challenge your body. But are you merely your body? Lameness may impede your legs. But you are not merely your legs. Your will is bigger than your legs. Your will needn't be affected by an incident unless you let it.
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The people have a right to the truth as they have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
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Practice yourself, for heaven's sake, in little things, and thence proceed to greater.
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Youth is impulsive. When our young men grow angry at some real or imaginary wrong, and disfigure their faces with black paint, it denotes that their hearts are black, and that they are often cruel and relentless, and our old men and old women are unable to restrain them. Thus it has ever been.
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When you bring consciousness to anything, things begin to shift.
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The less prudence with which others conduct their affairs, the greater the prudence with which we should conduct our own affairs.
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It is the Law that any difficulties that can come to you at any time, no matter what they are, must be exactly what you need most at the moment, to enable you to take the next step forward by overcoming them. The only real misfortune, the only real tragedy, comes when we suffer without learning the lesson.
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Young men, listen to an old man to whom old men listened when he was young.
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Today I don't have to fit into anyone else's emotional atmosphere.
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