Seneca: Anger makes many men cripples, or invalids, even…

Anger always promises that it will hurt someone else. It often harms us first. A fight can cost your health, your job, your reputation, or your peace, even if the other person never fights back. And no opponent is so weak that they cannot bring consequences with them—through grief, an accident, a complaint, an ally, or simply the damage violence does to your own character. This is why contempt is so dangerous. It makes us careless about the risks we are creating. Before escalating a conflict, remember that winning is not the same as being unharmed. The sensible question is not, “Can I overpower this person?” It is, “What will this action cost everyone involved, including me?” Choose the response that solves the problem with the least destruction. Strength does not need to prove itself by taking needless risks.