Anger, then, will often seem like a reasonable response to a situation, but we should reconsider. It pulls us from our natural state of openness and turns us against humanity. We should instead reconsider our attachments and, notwithstanding the importance of exerting just punishment, avoid acting out of anger. It’s simply bad for us. The extirpation of this particular passion therefore realigns us with humanity and restores a gentleness and sociability that we should remember lie at the heart of Stoic thinking.
