Seneca - On Anger
Many people manufacture their grievances by false suspicions or by exaggerating trivialities. Often anger comes over us. More commonly, we resort to it. But it should never be brought on deliberately. If it does fall upon us, it should be cast back. No one ever says to himself: 'What is making me angry is something which I have sometimes done myself or could have done'; no one assesses the motive of the person who did it, only the deed itself. But the motive is what should be considered: was it intentional or an accident, was he forced or misled, was he acting out of hatred or for reward, was he indulging himself or assisting another? The wrongdoer's age and his position are factors which make it humane or prudent to allow and put up with it. We should put ourselves in the place of the man with whom we are angry. As it is, what makes us angry is unwarranted self-esteem. We are unwilling to put up with what we would ourselves like to do.
