The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

A quick decision usually denotes an alert mind.

Successful people are decisive. They don’t agonize over decisions and thereby miss out on a great opportunity. They gather the relevant information, discuss alternatives with advisers whose opinions they respect, and then make a decision and get on with it. Indecision creates the worst kind of paralysis and, left unattended, can permanently damage you and your organization. If you have trouble making decisions, remember that there are few decisions that are irreversible. If you later discover that you were wrong, correct your course and move on. Napoleon Hill

There are a lot of things that oppose us in this life. Starting with gravity, we are held down by so many things: other people, bad luck, unfavorable odds, and god knows what else. We struggle to get ahead. We struggle to realize our potential. We run into so many obstacles.

But our biggest obstacle, our most dangerous opponent, is anger.

Our own. And other people’s.

Anger, as Seneca said, is the ugliest and most savage of all emotions—because “no plague has done more harm to humankind.” Heraclitus, whom the Stoics adored, explained that, “it is hard to fight with anger, for whatever it wants, it will pay the price, even at the cost of life itself.”

Anger kills the human spirit. And creates villainy in its place. There is a reason in the first three Star Wars movies that the Emperor is the most hopeful in the fight for Luke Skywalker’s soul when Luke is at his angriest. Anger is what makes people hate each other. It makes us make mistakes from which we cannot recover. Anger is why we hold onto grudges, even when they are holding us back. Anger is why people act impulsively. Anger is why we had trouble sleeping last night. Anger is what makes our heart beat faster, stressing us out, harming our own health.

Anger cares about nothing but its own satisfaction, its own relief. And it’s going to get it from you—from the world—as Heraclitus said, even at the cost of your own life.

You have to tame your temper. You have to get this under control. It’s your most dangerous opponent. It’ll kill you if you’re not careful. The daily Stoic.