Anger and revenge are great pull-backs to health. Anger makes the blood rush to the head, weakens the body, and distorts the vision. When a woman gets angry, she quarrels with her lover, her husband or her children. Any one of these things is a calamity. When a man gets angry, he is a wild man. His eyes glitter, his mouth is cruel, his fists clinch, his body trembles, his blood veins strain, and he does more harm to his system in five minutes of anger than nature can repair in a day. Anger and Poise. Anger makes weak stomachs, dizzy heads, poor judgment, lost friends, despair and sickness, and if the habit becomes confirmed, will likely lead to apoplexy. When two men have differences, watch the cool man finish victor; the angry man always loses. Keep your head; let the other fellow fret and fume. He will tie himself up in a knot, and when the gong is rung, he will be the loser. Serenity is one of God's blessings. Fortunate is the man who can hold his serenity. When you get a letter that stirs you to anger, don't answer that letter for forty-eight hours, then write a moderately vitriolic letter—and then tear it up. The Futility of Revenge. I know you are tempted and goaded, and your limit of endurance is sometimes reached. But I know that revenge is sweet only in anticipation. I know that revenge by anger and by the cruel "eye for an eye" measure is never, never sweet. I have been the victim of imposition, ingratitude and insincerity, and advantage has been taken of me because I kept my poise and serenity. I have been called easy, and soft, and friends have shown me where I was imposed upon, but I was stooping to conquer. I kept my reserve, my resistance, and my power ready until time, place, and preparedness let me spring my coup, and then I cashed in beautifully in principal and interest for those acts and hurts. I have power now in my hands to make others suffer keenly and deeply for wrongs they have done me. Yet I do not exercise that power to revenge. I have been misjudged and misunderstood, be I am well hated now by one person in particular, who blames me for things another is guilty of. A word from me would clear myself, but it would bring gloom and despair to that person and would not make me any more cognizant of my innocence. Time, the Arbiter. Time somehow will bring out the truth; the cowardly, guilty individual who basks in the favor of the one who is angry at me will surely pay for his wrong. This I know, and I am satisfied with the ultimate result. My former friend, who is angry at me, would simply switch the anger current to the guilty one if I told the facts; the guilty person couldn't stand that anger like I can. My act would break up a home and bring misery. The satisfaction I would receive would not equal the sorrow my act would cause to others. I am far removed from the location where these people live, and I can stand the anger of the one who puts the blame on me by accepting the lies of another as truth. I have the documents in black and white, yet I I've tried both plans, the plan of anger and the plan of poise, and I like poise better. I believe I hear more birds, I believe I get more pleasure out of life and living than the man who gets angry and loves revenge. Anyway, I think so, and "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." |