"Temper, Temper"

Anger Thought: "When someone has a 'temper' we usually think of an angry outburst or a tendency to become angry or irritable. But temper has more than one definition. It can also mean 'to soften or subdue an extreme feeling or mood.' A person can have a 'tempered life style' meaning they are conservative or balanced. 'Tempered steel' refers to a strong, highly flexible material. How do we reconcile these two, seemingly different, definitions of 'temper?' I like to think that anger has within itself the capacity to manage itself. Stated more directly, your anger does not have to be a permanent descriptor of your personality or lifestyle. Anger is an emotion that comes and goes. You are not your anger!