Anger is the killer of peace. Anger often results in
violence. Giving vent to anger is a sign of weakness,
whereas the mastering of anger is a sign of power.
Anger, moreover, confounds one’s thinking
capacity. The angry man can neither understand
any issue in a clear-headed way, nor can he give a
response which is adequate to the situation. What is
worse is that when an individual is angry, he is all
too prone to turn to violence. But the truth is that
violence is no solution to any problem. For one who
can prevent himself from succumbing to anger,
there is no situation which he will not be able to
turn to good account. He will seek a peaceful
solution—the only sure way to solve any problem.
Man’s mind has extraordinary potential. When he is
not angry, he is in a position to utilize his
capabilities to the best advantage. But when he is
angry, his mental balance is lost. He is not in a
position to make the full use of such mental
capabilities as would be to his own benefit. In short,
not becoming angry is victory, while becoming
angry is defeat.
It should be borne in mind also, that overcoming
anger is not simply a matter of suppressing one’s
emotions. It means being able to deal with the
problem by rising above the negativism of anger.
One should be able to respond, uninfluenced by
emotion in spite of being provoked. This principle
applies not only to the individual but also to entire
nations. Positive status quoism is undoubtedly the
surest way to success, but only those can adopt this
method who have the ability to think independently
of the psychology of anger.
The principle of positive status quoism can be
adopted only by those who have the mental
discipline not to resort to violence, despite facing
unpleasant situations. Those who cannot curb
violent tendencies will never be able to experience
the benefits of positive status quoism.
Ref -The Ideology of Peace
- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
