He who is slow to anger quiets contention.
—Proverbs 15:18
A peculiarity of anger is that it is sometimes the vice of the virtuous—a blemish on the personality of an otherwise nice person. We all know someone who is attractive in most ways—but is flawed by a touchy disposition.
The most meaningful relationships are casualties of the assault of this misery-producing defect. Walking on eggshells, never knowing what will set a person off in an uncontrolled fit of fury, renders the relationship fragile and often unsustainable. Harmony is sometimes shredded by temper-induced rage.
Temper tantrums are childish, embarrassing, and destructive.
“Not easily angered” in other translations reads: “not easily provoked,” “is not irritable,” “is not touchy,” “is not quick to take offense.”
“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly” (Prv 14:29).
Don’t respond to anger with anger.