In an effort to educate myself, I am reading The Oxford Book of Essays, chosen and edited by John Gross. [copies for sale here] There’s 142 of the blighters, so it will take me all year. To make this “stick” I am going to blog each essay.
This essay is online
Who was the author:
Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608; died 16 August 1661)[1] was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his Worthies of England, published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and one of the first English writers able to live by his pen (and his many patrons).[2][3]
What happened the year they were born (and the C02 ppm): 1608
The Big Events they were alive for: Shakespeare, the Civil War – that kinda thing
What happened in the year they died (and the C02 ppm): 1661
My awareness of/appreciation of this author (if any): Zero
What’s the essay?
The essay is called “Of Anger.” It’s x pages long. For me, the key take-aways were…
Best line(s)
“To be angry for every toy debases the worth of thy anger; for he who will be angry for any thing, will be angry for nothing.”
(cf Aristotle on this)
As the revealing of secrets, which makes thee a bankrupt for society ever after: neither do such things which done once are done for ever, so that no bemoaning can description amend them
Sabbath. S. Paul saith, “Let not the Sunne go down on your wrath”
(Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:]
He that keeps anger long in his bosome giveth place to the devil.
(riffing on Ephesians 4:27)
Stuff I had to look up
xx
Stuff worth thinking about.
Anger is an energy, sure, but one that can really mess you up.
“Anybody can become angry; that is easy. But to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.” Aristotle
Also Audre Lorde, I think.
Stuff to look up
xxx
Connects to (watch this space – if there are later essays that resonate with this one, I’ll come back and add a link to the post for that essay).
marchudson.net 
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