Word for the wise ©
Here we are at W in our Word for the wise © wander through the alphabet. Last week, we entered the canon (canyon?) of the Seven Deadly Sins: Avarice, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Pride and Sloth. Today, we grapple with the missing one:
wrath means fury marked by a desire for vengeance. The modern equivalent is "anger" and although it's not quite respectable, it is no longer regarded as absolutely opprobrious. When you hear corporate trainers speak of "Anger Management" seminars in the same breath as they mention "Project Management" ones, you know that anger is no longer seen as sinful. How could it be, if it can be managed to the benefit of the corporation?Look around, and you'll see that our sports arenas offer public spectacles of anger measured in sin bins (!), red cards and the like, while politics, as mediated by television talk shows, is nothing but anger-filled chatter. The success of these exhibitions is often related to the amount of rage expressed by the participants. And speaking of "rage", what is it but another form of Middle Ages "wrath"? Maybe there was "road wrath" back then. You know, "Get your carriage out of my way, pig-faced coachman! Where'd you learn to drive? Hackney!"
Next week, we're at "X". The sole candidate is "xenophobia".
