The Real Shiite and Controlling Anger

From the perspective of Amir al-Mu'minn Ali (pbuh), one of the other signs of real Shiites is controlling anger (khazm-e Ghaiz). The term "Jor’e" which means “drinking one’s anger” is a metaphorical term which means suppressing and controlling one’s anger. If an angry person loses his temper and does not control his anger, he will insult or attack the person who provoked him. But if he is restraint, he will drink his anger like fresh water; his anger will subside and fade with patience and self-control. Anger has a lot of psychological, worldly, and otherworldly consequences, and its control is very important, because it intensifies the conflict, and prepares the ground for human’s degeneration into great sins. Anger is a defensive instinct and an emotional state that occurs in the aftermath of being subject to disrespect and an encroachment on one’s property. Based on this instinct, one becomes angry when he/she perceives a behavior as insulting, and is sensitive to the insulting behavior of others. Of course, anger is twofold: desirable and undesirable. Undesirable anger is the result of one’s whim of the soul and selfishness, and desirable anger is the result of zeal for the rules of religion, the elimination of disrespect to religion, and the protection of religious values.