The evolution of wisdom
No one thinks alone. Pick a question and follow it forward: the text that asked it first, the traditions that reached for it again centuries later and half a world away, and the people answering it now.
Anger
“Tell me about a time anger taught you something — or cost you something. What did you learn from it?”
Rage, irritation, when to act on it and when not to.
- ~10th c. BCE – 1st c. CE
Hebrew & Christian Bible
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Psalms, the Sermon on the Mount, and the parables. Foundational to Western moral language.
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”
- ~8th c. BCE – 4th c. CE
Hinduism
Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads — dialogues on duty, action, and self.
“Deceitfulness, and arrogance, and pride, / Quickness to anger, harsh and evil speech, / And ignorance, to its own darkness blind,-- / These be the signs, My Prince! of him whose birth / Is fated for the regions of the vile.”
Krishna contrasts the divine qualities with the marks of a person bound toward degradation.
↓ Reached for again — Qur’an, 7th c. CE47% resonance“As to man, when his Lord trieth him and honoureth him and is bounteous to him, Then saith he, 'My Lord honoureth me:' But when he proveth him and limiteth his gifts to him, He saith, 'My Lord despiseth me.'”
“But if a man shall learn, Even while he lives and bears his body's chain, To master lust and anger, he is blest! He is the Yukta; he hath happiness, Contentment, light, within:”
Krishna promises that mastery over passion and anger brings blessedness even in this life.
↓ Reached for again — Buddhism, ~5th c. BCE onward54% resonance“Let a man leave anger, let him forsake pride, let him overcome all bondage! No sufferings befall the man who is not attached to name and form, and who calls nothing his own.”
- ~5th c. BCE onward
Buddhism
Dhammapada and selected sutras — terse, principle-rich verses on suffering, attachment, and right action.
“He who holds back rising anger like a rolling chariot, him I call a real driver; other people are but holding the reins.”
↓ Reached for again — Qur’an, 7th c. CE46% resonance“And who control their desires … But whoever indulge their desires beyond this are transgressors.”
“Do not speak harshly to anybody; those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech is painful, blows for blows will touch thee.”
↓ Reached for again — Qur’an, 7th c. CE49% resonance“Turn aside evil with that which is better: we best know what they utter against thee.”
- ~5th c. BCE
Confucianism
Analects of Confucius — sayings on conduct, governance, and moral cultivation.
“He did not transfer his anger; he did not repeat a fault.”
Confucius praises his most beloved disciple Yen Hui as a model of learning and self-discipline.
↓ Reached for again — Stoicism, 3rd c. BCE – 2nd c. CE49% resonance“Moreover, to endure labour; nor to need many things; when I have anything to do, to do it myself rather than by others; not to meddle with many businesses; and not easily to admit of any slander.”
“When he is angry, he thinks of the difficulties (his anger may involve him in). When he sees gain to be got, he thinks of righteousness.”
Part of Confucius's list of nine things the superior man keeps in thoughtful consideration.
↓ Reached for again — Stoicism, 3rd c. BCE – 2nd c. CE51% resonance“When thou art offended with any man's transgression, presently reflect upon thyself; and consider what thou thyself art guilty of in the same kind. For this if thou shalt call to mind, thou shalt soon forget thine anger;…”
- 3rd c. BCE – 2nd c. CE
Stoicism
Greco-Roman school of practical philosophy on virtue, agency, and acceptance. Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca.
“Betimes in the morning say to thyself, This day I shalt have to do with an idle curious man, with an unthankful man, a railer, a crafty, false, or an envious man; an unsociable uncharitable man. All these ill qualities have happened unto them, through ignorance of that which is truly good and truly bad. But I that unde…”
Aurelius instructs himself to prepare each morning for difficult people by remembering their ignorance and his kinship with them.
↓ Reached for again — Rabbinic Judaism, ~3rd c. CE50% resonance“Do not despise any man, and do not discriminate against anything, for there is no man that has not his hour, and there is no thing that has not its place.”
“When thou art offended with any man's transgression, presently reflect upon thyself; and consider what thou thyself art guilty of in the same kind. For this if thou shalt call to mind, thou shalt soon forget thine anger; especially when at the same time this also shall concur in thy thoughts, that he was constrained by…”
- ~3rd c. CE
Rabbinic Judaism
Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) — concise principles for living, distilled from the early rabbinic period.
“Do not try to appease your friend during his hour of anger; Nor comfort him at the hour while his dead still lies before him; Nor question him at the hour of his vow; Nor strive to see him in the hour of his disgrace.”
↓ Reached for again — Qur’an, 7th c. CE50% resonance“And grieve not thou for them, nor be in distress at their devisings.”
“There are four kinds of temperaments: Easy to become angry, and easy to be appeased: his gain disappears in his loss; Hard to become angry, and hard to be appeased: his loss disappears in his gain; Hard to become angry and easy to be appeased: a pious person; Easy to become angry and hard to be appeased: a wicked perso…”
↓ Reached for again — Qur’an, 7th c. CE48% resonance“Man truly is by creation hasty; When evil befalleth him, impatient; But when good falleth to his lot, tenacious.”
- 7th c. CE
Qur’an
Central scripture of Islam. Ethical teachings, parables, and prophetic narratives.
“Turn aside evil with that which is better: we best know what they utter against thee.”
God instructs the Prophet on how to respond to those who speak ill of him.
“And Dhoulnoun; when he went on his way in anger, and thought that we had no power over him. But in the darkness he cried "There is no God but thou: Glory be unto Thee! Verily, I have been one of the evil doers:" So we heard him and rescued him from misery: for thus rescue we the faithful.”
Jonah, after fleeing his mission in anger, repents in darkness and is saved — illustrating that sincere acknowledgment of fault opens the way to deliverance.
- Now
Living voices
The same question, answered by people who are still working it out.
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