Contagious Anger - The One Year Daily Wisdom
Contagious Anger
Read Proverbs 22
Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.
Proverbs 22:24-25
What is the distinguishing characteristic of the people this proverb describes as angry, hot-tempered people? They live in a constant state of anger that is capable of almost instant and unexpected escalation to rage. Two types of people stay away from this kind of person: those who are under attack by them and those who are wise.
So, why is the warning necessary? Because angry, hot-tempered people work hard to recruit allies. There often occurs an almost eerie process in which friends of angry, short-tempered people take on the same characteristics out of an instinct for self-preservation. The old “If you can’t beat them you might as well join them” principle seems to take over. The results, this proverb points out, can endanger the soul.
Because attraction and attachment to angry, short-tempered people are difficult to understand or figure out, this word of wisdom usually has to be practiced before its value is recognized. Keeping a distance allows for better perspective.
A WORD FOR TODAY
Don’t enable angry people.
Today, Lord, help me be aware of the clues I get from my surroundings. Don’t let me pick up bad habits from those I’m with, and keep me from influencing them badly.
