W

February 1st

FOR THE HOT-HEADED MAN

“Keep this thought handy when you feel a fit of rage coming on—it

isn’t manly to be enraged. Rather, gentleness and civility are more

human, and therefore manlier. A real man doesn’t give way to

anger and discontent, and such a person has strength, courage, and

endurance—unlike the angry and complaining. The nearer a man

comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 11.18.5b

hy do athletes talk trash to each other? Why do they deliberately say
offensive and nasty things to their competitors when the refs aren’t
looking? To provoke a reaction. Distracting and angering opponents is an
easy way to knock them off their game.
Try to remember that when you find yourself getting mad. Anger is not
impressive or tough—it’s a mistake. It’s weakness. Depending on what
you’re doing, it might even be a trap that someone laid for you.
Fans and opponents called boxer Joe Louis the “Ring Robot” because he
was utterly unemotional—his cold, calm demeanor was far more terrifying
than any crazed look or emotional outburst would have been.
Strength is the ability to maintain a hold of oneself. It’s being the person
who never gets mad, who cannot be rattled, because they are in control of
their passions—rather than controlled by their passions.