self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage

IF...

 

1. ...you could eliminate one source of anger in your life right now, what would it be? 

    my new neighbors use my driveway to turn around so they can back into their garage numerous times every day. The slight upward angle of the drive puts their blinding headlights (or even daytime running lights) straight through the picture window of my living room.      

    No, it's not the worst thing that's ever happened in the history of time. No, it's not causing permanent damage to me. But it is an imposition, and one that could easily be avoided by either pulling straight into their garage (which seems logical anyway!) or turning around in the circle that's 100 feet away in order to accomplish the same thing.

    When people choose to do something that's rude, easily avoided, and pointless, that makes them a worthy target for anger.

2. ...you had to pick the least appropriate thing to pray for, what would you say it is? 

    money, or injury to another person

3. ...you were to choose the person who has a true aura of calm around them, who would it be?

    I used to work, in my first two roles at the financial company, with a lady named Shelly. Smart and great at her job, she's also deeply funny and observant. She somehow managed to take everything in stride, even when that place was more like a zoo than a cube farm. In so doing, she calmed others, too. 

    Talking with her every day is something that I missed right away when I moved jobs.

4. ...you were to add an eleventh commandment, what would it be? 

    Thou Shalt Not Text and Drive

5. ...you were to name someone you know who best personifies strength of character, who would it be? 

    my dear old friend, Emerald Man. He's smart, inventive, expressive, intense, and sure of himself. I'm super glad he's on my side because I'm surely not bright, well-read, or confident enough to win any battle with him.

6. ...you had to cite an example from your experience when beauty masked evil, when would you say it was? 

     Brian from Mad-town, a guy I matched with on OkCupid. He made the first move, he pursued, and he made the 90 mile drive to spend a weekend getting to know me. He also, a couple hours into that weekend, insulted me gravely—and about things he knew were true before he ever clicked my name. He was, and is, a good looking man. Even thinking about him, much less seeing his photo (perennially Someone I Should Know on FB), makes me angry and revolted.

7. ...you were to sell your soul for one thing, what would you do it for? 

    willpower. There are at least three areas of my life that could be drastically improved if I could better control what I do.

 

[from If: Questions for the Soul; the title quotation is by Thucydides, from History of the Peloponnesian War]