anger was created in animals so that they may take revenge on those who harm them. if this condition is excessive and goes beyond its limits to the point that reason is lost then the harm caused to the one who is angry and the harm he causes to the one who has incurred his wrath may be more severe and more numerous than that caused to the one who has incurred his wrath. for this reason the wise person should frequently remember the situations of those whose anger has led them to do unpleasant things in the immediate and later stages and he should take himself to imagining them when he is angry. many of those who get angry may punch slap and butt others thereby bringing more pain upon themselves than they did to the one who incurred his wrath. i have seen someone punch a man on the jaw and break his fingers so that he had to treat them for months and the one who was incurred the wrath did not suffer much harm. i have seen someone who became furious and shouted and spit out blood which led him to tuberculosis and became the cause of his death. we have heard stories of people who lost their families children and loved ones during their time of anger and regretted it for a long time and perhaps did not recover it for the rest of their lives. galen mentioned that his mother would jump with her mouth on a lock and bite it if it was difficult for her to open it. by my life there is not much difference between someone who has lost his mind and foresight during his anger and a madman. if a person remembers such situations more often when he is healthy he will be more likely to imagine them during his time of anger.
إن الغضب جعل في الحيوان ليكون له به انتقام من المؤذي. وهذا العارض إذا أفرط وجاوز حده حتى يفقد معه العقل فربما كانت نكايته في الغضب وإبلاغه إليه المضرة أشد وأكثر منها في المغضوب عليه. ومن أجل ذلك ينبغي للعاقل أن يكثر تذكر أحوال من أدى به غضبه إلى أمور مكروهة في عاجل الأمر وآجله، ويأخذ نفسه بتصورها في حال غضبه. فإن كثيرا ممن يغضب ربما لكم ولطم ونطح، فجلب بذلك من الألم على نفسه أكثر مما نال به من المغضوب عليه. ولقد رأيت من لكم رجلا على فكه فكسر أصابعه حتى مكث يعالجها اشهرا، ولم ينل الملكوم كثير أذى. ورأيت من استشاط وصاح فنفث الدم مكانه، وأدى به ذلك إلى السل وصار سبب موته. وبلغنا أخبار أناس نالوا أهليهم وأولادهم ومن يعز عليهم في وقت غضبهم بما طالت ندامتهم عليه، وربما لم يستدركوه آخر عمرهم. وقد ذكر جالينوس أن والدته كانت تثب بفمها على القفل فتعضه إذا تعسر عليها فتحه. ولعمري إنه ليس بين من فقد الفكر والروية في حال غضبه وبين المجنون كبير فرق. فإن الإنسان إذا أكثر تذكر أمثال هذه الأحوال في حال سلامته كان أحرى أن يتصورها في وقت غضبه.