Anger Quote by C. D. C. Reeve
““Anger is triggered by insult, then, and so is connected to worth (aretê) and to honour (timê). A person is insulted when the treatment he receives is worse than the treatment his worth entitles him to receive. He is honoured when he is given treatment proportional to his worth, and his worth is above or well-above average. When we speak of honour, therefore, we are in a way speaking of worth, since honour measures worth. Honour and insult are thus close to being polar opposites, and an insult is a harm to worth or honour.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Ethics of Honor in Ancient Greece, 2023
The passage links anger to perceived insults, tying emotional response to personal worth and societal honor; insults harm one's sense of value, while honor affirms it.
In simple terms: Anger comes from feeling insulted; honor reflects worth.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how perceived disrespect fuels anger.
Themes
emotion
self‑esteem
social status
Mood
frustrated
reflective
Type
ethical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal conflict
- leadership
- team dynamics
- customer service
- public speaking
Key Concepts
honor
worth
insult
anger
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess whether a slight truly reflects on your worth?
- What steps can you take to restore honor after feeling insulted?
A Different Perspective
Not all insults are intentional; cultural differences affect perceptions of honor.
![“Honour, like insult, comes from others. It is their recognition of our worth. It is the intrusion of the social into the psychological, the public into the private. After all, others honour us for what they find of worth in us. ‘To pursue [honour],’ wrote Baruch Spinoza in Treatise on the…” quote by C. D. C. Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4d4/c-d-c-reeve-64895_honor_honour-like-insult-comes-from-others-it_1068436.jpg)
