THE ANGRY BEE
“An angry bee stings and dies on the spot. The costs aren’t always as immediate for us, but they are always as high. So ask yourself whenever the anger rises up within you and the urge to act on it starts to overwhelm your senses: Can I afford it?” Ryan Holiday, author
“When a honeybee stings, it dies a gruesome death. The bee’s stinger is structured in such a way that once it punctures human skin, the bee can’t yank it out without self-amputating.” (PBS News hour)
The stinger is barbed and cannot be removed. This is just an excellent comparison to anger. Our barbed anger cannot usually be retracted. We may sting someone with our anger but we pay a high price to do so.
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!” Jesus