Do you know what Wrath is? – Unraveling the Deadly Sins

Fights in traffic, indoors, in the office, restaurant. We yell at our children, partners, relatives and colleagues. We want to kill the world. That is what is wrathone of the seven Capital sins. It is the exaggerated desire to fight with someone, even without having a reason to do so, to hold resentment, resentment and, at times, seek revenge. When anger is present, we seem to feel the need to create intrigue and conflict.

What is anger and what are its characteristics?

It brings out the worst in us. In the Bible there is a passage that better says what anger is, see below:

Then Peter, coming to him, asked him, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven? Jesus answered him, I say not unto thee, until seven; but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18.21-35)

What he meant is that, regardless of the harm done to you, you always have to forgive, let go of the anger and move on. Cholera, another name for this capital vice, prevents us from doing this, because it awakens in us the desire to harm those who have harmed us.

According to the Church, there is the so-called righteous anger, which is that which is directed only at those who have caused us harm, which is a natural defense and which is directed at the right person, in the appropriate measure.

When this feeling of protection becomes exaggerated, anger becomes a sin, because the person becomes furious, out of control, and wants to destroy everything and everyone. There is pleasure in getting revenge, that’s the big difference. What is anger itself is much worse than the feeling of anger.

What is anger and how is it present in our lives?

Unfortunately anger is more present in our routine than it should be. It leads us to bitterness, to losing friendships, as it destroys communication and the respect we have for each other. A person who experiences anger and rage intensely can go so far as to commit crimes, such as murder. On a large scale, it is the cause of major world conflicts, especially when combined with others of the 7 Deadly Sins, such as avarice and arrogance.

To dodge this so common Capital Sin, it is necessary to exercise patience, pay attention to small signs of lack of control, such as intolerance, bad mood and impatience. If you get angry very easily, maybe it’s time to look for meditation, relaxation and personal control exercises, because in the end, the one who hurts the most is you, who carry a huge weight on your back that no longer belongs to you.

Knowing more about the seven deadly sins

To understand anger a little better, watch the movie a day of fury, in which Michael Douglas plays a man tired of everything that goes wrong in his life and resolves to take revenge on anyone who gets in his way. He gets to be comic so extreme, but we’ve all wanted to do what he does.

The book Chess, Truco and Other Wars, by José Roberto Torero, was written with this sin as inspiration. In it, the author narrates a war (lightly based on the Paraguayan War) where there are several types of anger, even what can be considered a virtue. It is to think, reflect and travel.

How to nullify the sin of wrath?

Did you know that there are also the seven Opposing Virtues? Well, they serve as a counterpoint to the Deadly Sins. They can be used to neutralize bad feelings. In this specific case, about anger, you can use the virtue of meekness/patience. Yes, that old rule of counting to 10 is very useful, it will help you to think better and relieve any moment of anger.

After you better understand what anger is, one of the seven deadly sins, enjoy and also see: