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[Angle]

Oh, but it feels so good! Can't we have a little wrath? We swear we'll only punish the deserving, honest!

[wierd]

Can we get a circle of viciousness started on those dispensing wrath then?

By some metrics, those dispensing wrath are those most deserving of wrath. If we can close this into a tight knit circle of people dispensing wrath upon each other that we can then quarantine, the wrath making would make good entertainment.

[Bauglir]

Oh, I don't know. Wrath has its uses. It's a fine motivator, for example. Some people seem to respond better to aggression than compassion, although not many in my experience. But it does need to be controlled, directed, and used with some measure of awareness. I wake up every day angry at some parts of my life, and that is a powerful enabler for the things I need to do in order to change it. I think it would be a lot less good, though, if I woke every day angry at somebody, or if I started to forget where the wrath came from and why.

[SalmonGod]

Wrath may be useful once in a while, but not constructive.  For example, it would be great if we could level a massive storm of wrath against reckless disregard for the environment.  We could use wrath to prevent things getting worse.  But it wouldn't close the cultural/intellectual gaps necessary to actually make things better.

And anger is different.  There's nothing wrong with anger, so long as it remains controlled.  Anger is nothing but raw energy to be harnessed by anyone self-disciplined enough.

[Bauglir]

Ah, just different definitions, then. Carry on!

[wierd]

Anger is the emotion, Wrath is when you use it to harm other people.

wrath
Houghton Mifflin

    n.noun

1        Forceful, often vindictive anger.
2        Punishment or vengeance as a manifestation of anger.

    adj.adjective

        Wrathful.

EG, "wrath" is what happens when you allow mob justice.

[scriver]

In my definition wrath is just very intense anger. A bonfire in comparison to glowing coal.

[wierd]

You are mistaking "Rage" for "Wrath".

Rage is white-hot anger.  Wrath is when that anger is focused on a particular thing, with intent to "do something about it" in such a way that you become blinded to reason, rationality, or even to alternative courses of action.

Again, "Mob justice" (such as a lynch mob) is "wrath".  When a kid throws an impotent, petulant, temper-tantrum-- that's rage.

[Helgoland]

Fuck being nice, letting this - what is an appropriate insult? - teabag cripple himself permanently is a good way to delliver a message. Even better than going all 'other cheek' on him, because the intended audience probably wouldn't even register that.

That's an unexpected sentiment, coming from you - Aren't you fairly conservative? Or is this a case of "He whose beliefs are completely different is an infidel. He whose beliefs are almost the same is a heretic!"

Conservative by forum standards, center-left by my local standards, filthy Socialist by American standards. And generally I'm a big believer in political pragmatism, even if it means that a few people get hurt.

[penguinofhonor]

.

[Grim Portent]

Why are people donating to him? It would seem more sensible to just leave him and spend the money on people who deserve it.

Considering this man would go blind without eye surgery, I'd say he "deserves" it.

I'd rather see the money go to dying kids, or kids who're going blind. Or dying kids who're going blind. There's plenty of impoverished families with sick children that can't afford treatment.

[scriver]

You are mistaking "Rage" for "Wrath".

Rage is white-hot anger.  Wrath is when that anger is focused on a particular thing, with intent to "do something about it" in such a way that you become blinded to reason, rationality, or even to alternative courses of action.

Again, "Mob justice" (such as a lynch mob) is "wrath".  When a kid throws an impotent, petulant, temper-tantrum-- that's rage.

No, in my head, rage would be the outward behaviour of somebody who feels wrath. An impotent temper tantrum would likely not count as rage as I think of it, by virtue of being impotent.

[misko27]

If regular people get into arguments over silly definitions, why shouldn't we expect professionals to get into arguments about serious definitions? Personally, I blame the descriptivists. If everyone followed grammatical prescriptivism and used words by a common standard, think of all the arguments that wouldn't happen.

[penguinofhonor]

.

[SirQuiamus]

Here's another TED talk for all you quarrelsome partisans: :p
https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind#

I just read an interesting book of his, and there's certainly some food for thought, if not a full-course enlightenment.