proverb · Words worth keeping
If you lose your temper, don't look for it.
If you lose your temper, don't look for it.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying plays on losing one’s temper by advising against looking for it. It turns a phrase about anger into a joke about a missing object.
What the words are saying
The instruction adds wordplay to the familiar losing image; it is not a treatment for anger. A useful interpretation distinguishes not wanting an outburst back from ignoring its effects. Someone may still need to acknowledge what happened and consider a suitable response.
Everyday example
A reader notices the joke while recognising that any hurtful conduct still needs attention.
When to use it
Use it to explain the wordplay with responsibility retained.
What it does not mean
No anger-management method or excuse for an outburst 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
- Not established
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 proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 470; PDF page 69
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.