Seneca Moral essays
Seneca: Nothing, however, will be of so much service as…
Nothing, however, will be of so much service as to consider, first, the hideousness, and, secondly, the danger of anger. No passion bears a more troubled aspect: it befouls the fairest face, makes fierce the expression which before was peaceful.
The passage follows a public-domain translation of Seneca’s moral essays. The reading beside it is ours.
Anger changes us before it changes anything else. You can see it in the tightened jaw, the raised voice, the email drafted with too many exclamation points. A person who was reasonable five minutes ago suddenly looks like someone they would not want to meet. That is worth noticing, not out of vanity, but because the outside reveals what anger is doing inside: it has taken over the controls. Before you send the message, confront the coworker, or lecture your child, picture yourself from across the room. Is this how you want to carry yourself? Anger promises strength, but it makes us crude and predictable. The first defense is to remember its ugly cost. Keep your face, your voice, and your judgment calm. That is the appearance of a person still in command.
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