The eighth step of St. John’s Ladder is MEEKNESS and LOSS OF ANGER. A few words about anger are in order.

The passion of anger is not merely a tendency to lose one’s temper. Rather it is a spiritual disease that is not always apparent. St. John connects anger with pride and conceit, and therefore sees humility as its cure. He says:

Freedom from anger is an endless wish for dishonor, whereas among the vainglorious there is a limitless thirst for praise. Freedom from anger is a triumph over one’s nature. It is the ability to be impervious to insults, and comes by hard work.

How is pride the root of anger? St. John is not speaking of righteous indignation – anger at sin – but of anger that arises from wounded pride. While people’s rudeness or nastiness may seem a just cause to be angry, the passion of anger often has nothing to do with being stirred against sin. Even when someone makes a fair and perceptive criticism with the intention of helping us, anger is sometimes roused within us. Sometimes – either inwardly or outwardly – we lash out at our critic because we fail to see the truth that is being pointed out to us, for only when we are humble are we able to see things as they really are. Moreover, we think ourselves superior to our critics, so that even if we do admit the criticism is correct, our reaction is, “Who are you to criticize me? The more prideful we are, the more incorrigible we become, for we begin to see ourselves as superior to everyone – though, of course, we are too proud even to admit we see ourselves that way.

Thus St. John regards anger as a complete contradiction to a life of humility and repentance. Humility remedies anger because it remedies pride. The more true our repentance, the less wounded we are by anger.

Think about the times you have become angry. Isn’t St. John right?