November 21, 2009
UTNE READER

All the Rage

(Page 7 of 7)

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In The Enigma of Anger, Keizer writes about Abbot Ammonas, who lived in the fourth century as a hermit in a remote and desolate region of Egypt. Keizer points out that Ammonas, while doing his monkly spiritual exercises, never ceased praying to be delivered from his anger. Which raises the question: What exactly does a hermit have to get angry about?

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Ammonas, whatever hardships he had to endure in the desert, was spared “Dixie” ringtones, telemarketers, and traffic jams. He was spared Bill O’Reilly. Yet he continued to struggle with his anger.

Maybe Ammonas’ problem was that he was left, in the end, with the one thing that not even you—well-meaning and kindhearted as you are—can escape.

Your own angry self.

 

Andrew Santella (www.andrewsantella.com) has written for the New York Times Book Review, Slate, and GQ. Reprinted from Notre Dame (Summer 2007), a quarterly magazine produced by the University of Notre Dame. Subscriptions: $20/yr. (4 issues) from 538 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556; www.nd.edu/~ndmag.

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Comments

  • Adrian Tremayne 1/28/2009 1:56:52 AM

    It seems to me that most of the anger is caused by people feeling devalued and unrespected. Perhaps the answer we need is the reinstatement of common courtesy as common?

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