Anger V. Patience

Anger: A feeling that may result from injury, mistreatment, opposition, etc.; it usually shows itself in a desire to hit out at something or someone else.

Wrath: Inordinate or uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger.

(I'm putting wrath in because it was one of the original 7 Sins. There has been some tinkering with them over the years by popes and other dudes in the know. Also, I think that the word wrath looks like its meaning. It looks like it's going to come at you).

Patience: The bearing of suffering, provocation, delay, tediousness, etc. with calmness and self-control.

The thing with the 7 Deadly Sins, really, is that it all loops back around to fear. Men especially love anger. It's so manly to get really pissed off. I'm not suggesting that women haven't developed the capacity to pitch a bitch from time to time. I do live with SuperK, after all. I have personal experience, strength, hope, and stark, raving terror to share on this topic. Not now, though. I think she's lurking in the hallway, spying on me.


Instead of saying: "I'm scared," I can just blow my stack, yell and scream and bend things and threaten violence. It's easier than dealing with the fear, especially when I vent my anger at someone smaller and less violent than me. Try it with a child sometime; it's especially effective when you weigh 150 lbs more that the target of your anger.

I try not to do anything when I'm angry. As a general rule, I try to keep my mouth shut most of the time, anyway. When I talk, bad things happen. When I'm angry, I am a total idiot. Not a partial idiot. Full blown idiot.

Anger is the only one of the 7 Sins not associated with selfishness or self-interest.

I don't see how patience can actually exist in the realm that I inhabit.