Essay of Anger - Bacon TO SEEK to extinguish (PUT OUT, QUENC ,S!OT E" #anger utter$y (CO!

P%ETE%&,ABSO%UT%& ,TOTA%%&# , is 'ut a 'ra(ery of the Stoics (Stoicism ()ree* # +as a schoo$ of e$$enistic ,hi$oso,hy foun-e- in Athens 'y .eno of Citiu/ in the ear$y 0r- century BC1 The Stoics consi-ere- -estructi(e e/otions to 'e the resu$t of errors in 2u-g/ent, an- that a sage, or ,erson of 3/ora$ an- inte$$ectua$ ,erfection,3 +ou$- not suffer such e/otions11 4e ha(e 'etter orac$es 5n C$assica$ Anti6uity, an oracle +as a ,erson or agency consi-ere- to 'e a source of +ise counse$ or ,ro,hetic o,inion, ,re-ictions or ,recognition of the future, ins,ire- 'y the go-s1 As such it is a for/ of -i(ination1#7 Be angry, 'ut sin not1 %et not the sun go -o+n u,on your anger1 (Be ye angry an- sin not - 5t has 'een re/ar*e- that the -irection here is confor/a'$e to the usage of the Pythagoreans, +ho +ere 'oun-, +hen there +ere any -ifferences a/ong the/, to furnish so/e to*en of reconci$iation 'efore the sun set1 Bur-er, in "os1 A$t1 u1 neu1 !orgen$an-, in $oc1 5t is i/,$ie- here7 (8# that there 3/ay3 'e anger +ithout sin9 an-, (:# that there is s,ecia$ -anger in a$$ cases +here there is anger that it +i$$ 'e acco/,anie- +ith sin1 3Anger3 is a ,assion too co//on to nee- any -escri,tion1 5t is an excite/ent or agitation of /in-, of /ore or $ess (io$ence, ,ro-uce- 'y the rece,tion of a rea$ or su,,ose- in2ury, an- atten-e- co//on$y +ith a -esire or ,ur,ose of re(enge1 The -esire of re(enge, ho+e(er, is not essentia$ to the existence of the ,assion, though it is ,ro'a'$y a$+ays atten-e- +ith a -is,osition to ex,ress -is,$easure, to chi-e, re'u*e, or ,unish9# #Anger /ust 'e $i/ite- an- confine-, 'oth in race an- in ti/e1 4e +i$$ first s,ea* ho+ the natura$ inc$ination ( %EAN5N) ,P"E;E"ENCE #an- ha'it to 'e angry, /ay 'e atte/,te- an- ca$/e-1 Secon-$y, ho+ the ,articu$ar /otions of anger /ay 'e re,resse- (SUB<UE<,45T <"A4AN# , or at $east refraine- (<ES5ST ,ABSTA5N # fro/ -oing /ischief1 (!5SBE A=5OU" ,T"OUB%E# Thir-$y, ho+ to raise anger, or a,,ease (!O%%5;&,PAC5;&,SOOT # anger in another1 ;or the first9 there is no other +ay 'ut to /e-itate (CONTE!P%ATE,PON<E",T 5NK# , an- ru/inate (PON<E","E;%ECT# +e$$ u,on the effects of anger, ho+ it trou'$es /an>s $ife1 An- the 'est ti/e to -o this, is to $oo* 'ac* u,on anger, +hen the fit ("A)E ,PEAK# is thorough$y o(er1 Seneca ("O!AN P 5%OSOP E" # saith (SA5<# +e$$, That anger is $i*e ruin, +hich 'rea*s itse$f u,on that it fa$$s1 The Scri,ture exhorteth (Thir--,erson singu$ar si/,$e ,resent in-icati(e for/ of Exhort "etrie(e- fro/1# us to ,ossess our sou$s in ,atience1 4hosoe(er is out of ,atience, is out of ,ossession of his sou$1 !en /ust not turn 'ees9111 ani/as6ue in (u$nere ,onunt??that ,ut their $i(es in the sting@1@1Anger is certain$y a *in- of 'aseness9 as it a,,ears +e$$ in the +ea*ness of those su'2ects in +ho/ it reigns9 chi$-ren, +o/en, o$- fo$*s, sic* fo$*s1 On$y /en /ust 'e+are, that they carry their anger rather +ith scorn( CONTE!PT,<5S<A5N# , than +ith fear9 so that they /ay see/ rather to 'e a'o(e the in2ury, than 'e$o+ it9 +hich is a thing easi$y -one, if a /an +i$$ gi(e $a+ to hi/se$f in it1

;or the secon- ,oint9 the causes an- /oti(es of anger, are chief$y three1 ;irst, to 'e too sensi'$e of hurt9 for no /an is angry, that fee$s not hi/se$f hurt9 an- therefore ten-er an- -e$icate ,ersons /ust nee-s 'e oft angry9 they ha(e so /any things to trou'$e the/, +hich /ore ro'ust natures ha(e $itt$e sense of1 The next is, the a,,rehension an- construction of the in2ury offere-, to 'e, in the circu/stances thereof, fu$$ of conte/,t7 for conte/,t is that, +hich ,utteth an e-ge u,on anger, as /uch or /ore than the hurt itse$f1 An- therefore, +hen /en are ingenious( C%E=E" # in ,ic*ing out circu/stances of conte/,t, they -o *in-$e( ENCOU"A)E# their anger /uch1 %ast$y, o,inion of the touch of a /an>s re,utation, -oth /u$ti,$y an- shar,en anger1 4herein the re/e-y is, that a /an shou$- ha(e, as Consa$(o +as +ont to say, te$a/ honoris crassiore/1 But in a$$ refrainings of anger, it is the 'est re/e-y to +in ti/e9 an- to /a*e a /an>s se$f 'e$ie(e, that the o,,ortunity of his re(enge is not yet co/e, 'ut that he foresees a ti/e for it9 an- so to sti$$ hi/se$f in the To contain ( O%<# anger fro/ /ischief, though it ta*e ho$- of a /an, there 'e t+o things, +here of you /ust ha(e s,ecia$ caution (4ATC ;U%NESS1# The one, of extre/e 'itterness (UNP%EASENTNESS# of +or-s, es,ecia$$y if they 'e acu$eate( ST5N)&# an- ,ro,er9 for cu//unia /a$e-icta ?co//on re(i$ing,QUA""E%@ are nothing so /uch9 an- again, that in anger a /an re(ea$ no secrets9 for that, /a*es hi/ not fit for society1 The other, that you -o not ,ere/,tori$y( Putting an ento a$$ -e'ate or action7 #a 'rea* off, in any 'usiness, in a fit of anger9 'ut ho+soe(er you sho+ 'itterness, -o not act anything, that is not re(oca'$e (To cance$ or annu$# ;or raising( E%E=ATE ,%5;T UP# an- a,,easing (SOOT 5N) # anger in another9 it is -one chief$y 'y choosing of ti/es, +hen /en are fro+ar-est (Stu''orn$y contrary an- -iso'e-ient# an- +orst -is,ose- (5NC%5NE<#to incense (5N;U"5ATE, EN"A)E# the/1 Again, 'y gathering (as +as touche- 'efore# a$$ that you can fin- out, to aggra(ate (!AKE 4O"SE# the conte/,t ( AT"E<1# An- the t+o re/e-ies are 'y the contraries1 The for/er to ta*e goo- ti/es, +hen first to re$ate to a /an an angry 'usiness9 for the first i/,ression is /uch9 an- the other is, to se(er (CUT ,SP%5T,# as /uch as /ay 'e, the construction of the in2ury fro/ the ,oint of conte/,t9 i/,uting (ATT"5BUTE, ASS5)N # it to /isun-erstan-ing, fear, ,assion, or +hat you +i$$1