proverb · Words worth keeping
Anger is more destructive than the sword.
Anger is more destructive than the sword.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Anger described as more destructive than a sword gives an emotion’s consequences a dramatic scale. The saying warns about what anger can lead someone to do.
What the words are saying
A responsible interpretation distinguishes feeling anger from acting harmfully. The comparison is not a measured ranking of injuries, and anger can signal injustice. A useful application considers conduct, support and consequences without condemning the feeling itself.
Everyday example
Someone acknowledges anger about unfair treatment and chooses a response that addresses the issue without an insult.
When to use it
Use it to examine responses to anger rather than shame the emotion.
What it does not mean
No measured harm comparison or inherent wrongdoing in feeling anger is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
India
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 378; PDF page 37; collection label: India
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- India