Wednesday, February 04, 2009

And I Quote, On Anger

Again taken from the same book, White Night, by Jim Butcher.

"'Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice.'

"'Constructive anger,' (she) said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"'Also known as passion,' (he) said quietly. 'Passion has overthrown tyrants, and freed prisoners and slaves. Passion has brought justice where there was savagery. Passion has created freedom where there was nothing but fear. Passion has helped souls rise from the ashes of their horrible lives and build something better, stronger, more beautiful.'

"'In point of fact," (he) said quietly. "that kind of thing really doesn't get done without passion. Anger is one of the things that can help build it - IF it's controlled."

"'If you really believed that," (she) said, 'you'd not be having any anger-control issues.'

"'Because I'm perfect?' (he) asked her, and snorted. 'A lot of men go a lifetime without ever figuring out how to control anger. I've been doing it longer than some, but I don't kid myself that I'm a saint.' I shruggged. 'A lot of things I see make me angry. It's one of the reasons I decided to spend my life doing something about it.'

"'Because you're so noble,' she purred, which dripped even more sacarsm...

"'Because I'd rather use that anger to smash the things that hurt people than let it use me,' (he) said. 'Talk at my subconscious all you want. But I'd be careful about trying to feed my inner Hulk, if I were you. You might end up making me that much better a person, once I beat it down. Who knows, you might make me into a saint. Or as close to one as I could get, anyway.'"

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