--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If in argument we can make a man angry…" description: "\"If in argument we can make a man angry with us, we have drawn him from his vantage ground and overcome him.\" — Walter Savage Landor" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/walter-savage-landor-1404_anger_if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-w_2046161.png" --- # If in argument we can make a man angry with us, we have… ![“If in argument we can make a man angry with us, we have drawn him from his vantage ground and overcome him.” quote by Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/walter-savage-landor-1404_anger_if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-w_2046161.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/walter-savage-landor-1404_anger_if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-w_2046161.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/walter-savage-landor-1404_anger_if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-w_2046161.png) > “If in argument we can make a man angry with us, we have drawn him from his vantage ground and overcome him.” [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Provoking anger can destabilize an opponent’s confidence and give you advantage. **In simple terms:** Anger can be a tactical tool. Key Takeaway Use calm to avoid giving advantage. Themes strategy conflict psychology Mood critical strategic Type philosophical political When to use this quote - debates - negotiations - political campaigns Key Concepts Rhetoric power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When is it ethical to provoke? - How can you win without anger? A Different Perspective Manipulating emotions may backfire ethically. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Rage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rage/) ## Related quotes > [If a man is crossing the river and an empty boat collides with his skiff, even though he is a bad tempered man he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/if-a-man-is-crossing-the-river-and-an-empty-boat-collides-with-his/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [A hungry man is an angry one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/a-hungry-man-is-an-angry-one/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [“AN HUNGRY MAN IS ALWAYS AN ANGRY MAN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sekou-konneh/an-hungry-man-is-always-an-angry-man/) Sekou Konneh > [To be in anger is impiety, but who is man that is not angry?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/to-be-in-anger-is-impiety-but-who-is-man-that-is-not-angry/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“There was something about that man when he was all angry and dangerous that got my blood up. Sometimes my survival instincts are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/there-was-something-about-that-man-when-he-was-all-angry-and/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [No man should be angry with what is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/no-man-should-be-angry-with-what-is-true/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Two things a man should never be angry at: what he can help, and what he cannot help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fuller/two-things-a-man-should-never-be-angry-at-what-he-can-help-and-what/) [Thomas Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fuller/) > [If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it's totally unacceptable for a woman to be angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous-for-a-man-to-be-angry-it-s/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [A man is angry at a libel because it is false, but at a satire because it is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-is-angry-at-a-libel-because-it-is-false-but-at-a-satire-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So long as a man is angry he cannot be in the right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-long-as-a-man-is-angry-he-cannot-be-in-the-right/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a young man, I was angry about all things legal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/as-a-young-man-i-was-angry-about-all-things-legal/) [David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/) > [A man can't be angry at his own time without suffering some damage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-musil/a-man-can-t-be-angry-at-his-own-time-without-suffering-some-damage/) [Robert Musil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-musil/) > [Why shouldn't man be as angry about not having always been alive as about having to stop being alive?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-stael/why-shouldn-t-man-be-as-angry-about-not-having-always-been-alive-as/) [Madame de Stael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-stael/) > [An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/an-angry-man-is-again-angry-with-himself-when-he-returns-to-reason/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [If you expect the wise man to be as angry as the baseness of crimes requires, then he must not only be angry but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/if-you-expect-the-wise-man-to-be-as-angry-as-the-baseness-of-crimes/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## More by Walter Savage Landor > [Nations, like individuals, interest us in their growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/nations-like-individuals-interest-us-in-their-growth/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Ah what avails the sceptred race, Ah what the form divine! What every virtue, every grace! Rose Aylmer, all were thine. Rose Aylmer, whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/ah-what-avails-the-sceptred-race-ah-what-the-form-divine-what-every/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [A solitude is the audience-chamber of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/a-solitude-is-the-audience-chamber-of-god/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [No ashes are lighter than those of incense, and few things burn out sooner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/no-ashes-are-lighter-than-those-of-incense-and-few-things-burn-out/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [As there are some flowers which you should smell but slightly to extract all that is pleasant in them ... so there are some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/as-there-are-some-flowers-which-you-should-smell-but-slightly-to/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [We talk on principle, but we act on interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/we-talk-on-principle-but-we-act-on-interest/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [States, like men, have their growth, their manhood, their decrepitude, their decay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/states-like-men-have-their-growth-their-manhood-their-decrepitude/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [The only effect of public punishment is to show the rabble how bravely it can be borne; and that every one who hath lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-only-effect-of-public-punishment-is-to-show-the-rabble-how/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Every great writer is a writer of history, let him treat on almost what subject he may.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/every-great-writer-is-a-writer-of-history-let-him-treat-on-almost/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [I strove with none; for none was worth my strife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/i-strove-with-none-for-none-was-worth-my-strife/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [The habit of pleasing by flattery makes a language soft; the fear of offending by truth makes it circuitous and conventional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-habit-of-pleasing-by-flattery-makes-a-language-soft-the-fear-of/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [There is no eloquence which does not agitate the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/there-is-no-eloquence-which-does-not-agitate-the-soul/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [We care not how many see us in choler, when we rave and bluster, and make as much noise and bustle as we can;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/we-care-not-how-many-see-us-in-choler-when-we-rave-and-bluster-and/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [Whatever is worthy to be loved for anything is worthy of preservation. A wise and dispassionate legislator, if any such should ever arise among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/whatever-is-worthy-to-be-loved-for-anything-is-worthy-of-preservation/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [The present, like a note in music, is nothing but as it appertains to what is past and what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/the-present-like-a-note-in-music-is-nothing-but-as-it-appertains-to/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) [Explore all 245 Walter Savage Landor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) ## More Anger quotes > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/) [Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/) > [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) [Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If in argument we can make a man angry with us, we have drawn him from his vantage ground and overcome him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter Savage Landor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-with-us-we-have-drawn-him-from/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-with-us-we-have-drawn-him-from/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/walter-savage-landor-1404_anger_if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-w_2046161.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/walter-savage-landor-1404_anger_if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-w_2046161.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/298/walter-savage-landor-1404_anger_if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-w_2046161.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If in argument we can make a man angry with us, we have drawn him from his vantage ground and overcome him.” — Walter Savage Landor", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Walter Savage Landor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If in argument we can make...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-with-us-we-have-drawn-him-from/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/if-in-argument-we-can-make-a-man-angry-with-us-we-have-drawn-him-from/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```