Lao Tzu – Anger
“The best fighter is never angry.”
Lao Tzu
Big Idea
Anger is an emotion that all of us have to manage throughout our lives. Students get angry with their teachers, their friends and parents. It’s important for them to develop a self-awareness around their anger so that they can decide when getting angry, or remaining calm, is the right response to a situation which aggrieves them.
Claim
Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu encourages us to consider that staying calm is always better than becoming angry. Anger has no place in our quest for success, happiness and achievement. It is self-destructive.
Counterclaim
But sometimes getting angry works. We set a tone and expectation with others that communicates that we are not to be taken advantage of. Anger is a great way of drawing a line in the sand.
Essential
Question
Is anger always self-destructive?
Student Video
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