The Seven Deadly Sins " WRATH "
Traditional name: WRATH
Better known today as: Abuse; v******e; Racial / Sectarian Hatred
We all get angry. We need to be able to do this in order to survive and to communicate.
Much of the skill of relating to people is knowing how to manage anger. Life's taught me that there's nothing to be gained, and everything to lose, by b-tching a family member out for more than 60 seconds. (And do this in today's job setting, or in a friendship, and you've lost your job or your friend.) To get somebody to do what you want / what's good for him or her, simply present the facts (including how you feel) as accurately and dispassionately as you can. You are much more likely to get the response you want.
Wrath, like envy, has a lot to do with what's wrong in our world. And it's not confined to egalitarian societies. Now, communities do not have to be passive when they are wronged. Usually there are laws to help us, and democracies seem to be respectful of the legitimate interests of their minorities. But people may define themselves in terms of their individual or group hatreds. (I've even heard it taught in college that people should define themselves in terms of their grievance-groups.) Criminals often focus on this -- America's criminals baffle the world by their shouting-and-pouting.
People may wrong us out of weakness or stupidity, or out of actual malice. In the latter case, I'll think about making a conscious decision to turn my revenge over to the Good Lord to handle as is best, while I pray for that person to find a better way of life. Find somebody who has tried this, and ask what happened. You may hear an amazing story. (It's called "Christian's revenge" or "hot burning coals." I think that all experienced Christians know about it.)
Better known today as: Abuse; v******e; Racial / Sectarian Hatred
We all get angry. We need to be able to do this in order to survive and to communicate.
Much of the skill of relating to people is knowing how to manage anger. Life's taught me that there's nothing to be gained, and everything to lose, by b-tching a family member out for more than 60 seconds. (And do this in today's job setting, or in a friendship, and you've lost your job or your friend.) To get somebody to do what you want / what's good for him or her, simply present the facts (including how you feel) as accurately and dispassionately as you can. You are much more likely to get the response you want.
Wrath, like envy, has a lot to do with what's wrong in our world. And it's not confined to egalitarian societies. Now, communities do not have to be passive when they are wronged. Usually there are laws to help us, and democracies seem to be respectful of the legitimate interests of their minorities. But people may define themselves in terms of their individual or group hatreds. (I've even heard it taught in college that people should define themselves in terms of their grievance-groups.) Criminals often focus on this -- America's criminals baffle the world by their shouting-and-pouting.
People may wrong us out of weakness or stupidity, or out of actual malice. In the latter case, I'll think about making a conscious decision to turn my revenge over to the Good Lord to handle as is best, while I pray for that person to find a better way of life. Find somebody who has tried this, and ask what happened. You may hear an amazing story. (It's called "Christian's revenge" or "hot burning coals." I think that all experienced Christians know about it.)
11 years ago