It Isn't Manly To Get Angry

You hang out with your friends when, suddenly, one of them says that you spend most of your time on social media. Others are also around.

Deep inside you, however, you know that your screen time is 4-6 hours every day.

You can’t face what’s been said, so you escalate.

That’s ego in its purest and most toxic form.

You get angry. You start yelling at him.

Why?

Because you think he is damaging your reputation.

You think he is causing you harm.

And if you think that someone causes you harm, of course, you will be angry!

“Don’t feel harmed, and the harm disappears,” says Marcus Aurelius.

Anger reveals weakness.

Think about that for a second…

If staying calm and not reacting impulsively is synonymous with self-control…

And self-control is a manly trait…

Then, the opposite—escalating and becoming enraged—is an unmanly trait.

Your explanation for what happens to you determines your reaction.

“When someone arouses your anger,” says Epictetus, “it’s really your opinion that fuels it.”

So, if someone tries to insult you but you don’t care, did it even happen?

Till next time,

Said The Stoic.

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