Letter 81

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed recipient
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore on the destructive power of uncontrolled anger.

When anger snaps the reins of the guiding reason, it drags a person's mind far beyond the boundaries of nature. The cure for such a grave failure is not merely repentance — though repentance is necessary — but the building of habits that prevent the outbreak in the first place. Anger is like fire: easy to prevent, almost impossible to control once lit. The time to fight it is before it ignites, not after. Build the walls of patience and self-control now, while you are calm. In the heat of the moment, you will have nothing but what you prepared.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.