It’s like a wild fire. It builds up and up and one day, it lets itself out. The rage that humans possess is a dangerous thing. A wise person really is he, who tames the fire inside him, a person that channelizes his anger and makes it as useful as a carpenter makes his wood.

               Traditionally, rage is considered to be a devil’s attribute. For example, a fresco from the 1717 Saint Nicolas Church in Cuvokets, Bulgaria showcases the contrast between the Angel, with qualities like humility and restraint, with the Devil, holding the characteristics of anger and rage. Ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle showed a hostile attitude towards anger. They argued that sudden bouts of rage were a kind of madness. However, modern philosophers have had a different perspective. David Hume, a Scottish philosopher, stated that ‘anger and hatred are passions inherent in our very frame and constitution; the lack of them is sometimes evidence of weakness and imbecility.

             This lands us to think- Are we devils? Does the act of rage make us less humane? The answers to these questions can be thought of by considering another human trait­­­: self-restraint. When we shout at people, we hurt them. But more than that, we unknowingly hurt ourselves. The guilt we feel after expressing our frustration may make us feel worse than what got us angry in the first place. This, by no means, implies that we must ever suppress our emotions.

           Giving voice to our deep irritations and emotions is a power in itself. When layers and layers of emotions keep building up in our hearts, we desperately need to vent these out to make space for more drama in our lives. Anger should not be given the control to vanquish our minds. Some might say, “Eat your feelings!” or “Make a punching bag out of a pillow” or even “Ignore it! You’ll soon get better”. But the best way to go about this, is to breathe. Breathing is more calming than you might think. The simple action of a long inhalation and exhalation are proven to be outstanding ways of slowing down our minds. Have a sip of water. Calm down. Then talk to someone about it.

          The feeling of letting out everything buried deep in our brains, is ineffable. It is heavenly and soothing and makes us the best version of ourselves. Don’t hesitate to ask for help- everyone needs it at some point. And always keep the bee of hope in mind; it’ll make everything easier. If there’s anything we learnt from Pandora, it is to be patient. Hindi poet Maithili Sharan Gupt, in his poem ‘Manushyata’, affirms that impatience brings sadness, and that impatient people, at the end of the day, bring about misery for themselves.

          Anger is like the burning candles on a birthday cake. Just try blowing them off, and a sweet experience awaits you.