130 Insightful Anger Quotes to Learn From

By Stephanie Kirby

Writer, Entrepreneur and Inspirational quote curator

Published August 26, 2023

Letting difficult emotions control you is easy, but these anger quotes will show you why that’s not a good idea and what to do instead.

Every person will have things happen in their lives that causes them to be angry.

Maybe someone betrayed you, lied to you, or wronged you in another way.

Anger happens.

In the comment section below, tell us about a time you were angry with someone.

What are the benefits of reading these anger quotes?

The feeling is normal, but that doesn’t mean it should control you.

Learning how to deal with anger healthily can make a huge difference in how you live and enjoy life.

These quotes will help you:

learn to think before you speak
express your feelings without being nasty
learn to express your issues and communicate more calmly

Keep reading these anger quotes to learn more.

Don’t forget to check out these letting-go quotes that inspire you to move on.

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration.

Check out our entire collection of motivational quotes here.

Anger quotes on how to express it

1. “Anger is like a storm rising up from the bottom of your consciousness. When you feel it coming, turn your focus to your breath.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

2. “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” – Ambrose Bierce

3. “Expressing anger is necessary.” – Jenny Holzer

You will also enjoy our article on angry woman quotes.

4. “Generally speaking, if a human being never shows anger, then I think something’s wrong. He’s not right in the brain.” – Dalai Lama

5. “If we wish to express anger fully, the first step is to divorce the other person from any responsibility for our anger.” – Marshall Rosenberg

6. Anybody can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.” – Aristotle

Anger quotes on how to not be controlled by it

7. “Angry people are not always wise.” – Jane Austen

8. “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” – Proverbs 29:11

9. “There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.” – Plato

10. “Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind.” – Evan Esar

11. “For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

12. “If you try to get rid of fear and anger without knowing their meaning, they will grow stronger and return.” – Deepak Chopra

13. “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” – Mark Twain

14. “Get mad, then get over it.” – Colin Powell

15. “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9

16. “Never respond to an angry person with a fiery comeback, even if he deserves it… Don’t allow his anger to become your anger.” – Bohdi Sanders

17. “Don’t waste your time in anger, regrets, worries and grudges. Life is too short to be unhappy.” – Roy T. Bennett

18. “You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” – Buddha

You might also like these guilty quotes to better understand your inner turmoil.

Moving past anger quotes

19. “Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight.” – Phyllis Diller

20. “Most misunderstandings in the world could be avoided if people would simply take the time to ask, ‘What else could this mean?’” – Shannon Alder

21. “Don’t hold to anger, hurt or pain. They steal your energy and keep you from love.” – Leo Buscaglia

22. “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you are.” – Cherie Carter-Scott

23. “To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.” – Robert Muller

24. “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” – Henry Ward Beecher

25. “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” – Confucius

26. “Being unable to control your temper is no less of an illness than being anxious or depressed, and it deserves every bit as much sympathy.” – John Crawford

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of powerful depression quotes that will provide perspective.

27. “I believe that things should be let go once they are discussed. Apology accepted. End of story.” – Brad Goreski

28. “Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything—anger, anxiety, or possessions—we cannot be free.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Anger quotes about its dangers

29. “The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.” – Barbara De Angelis

30. “Learn this from me. Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves.” – Mitch Album

31. “Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.” – Joan Lunden

32. “Anger, resentment and jealousy doesn’t change the heart of others—it only changes yours.” – Shannon Alder

33. “A grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.” – William Walton

34. “Anger and hatred are the real enemies that we must confront and defeat, not the ‘enemies’ who appear from time to time in our lives.” — Dalai Lama

35. “Men in rage strike those that wish them best.” – William Shakespeare

36. “When you hold on to anger and unforgiveness, you can’t move forward.” – Mary J. Blige

37. “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” – Buddha

Anger quotes about when anger is good

38. “It is wise to direct your anger towards problems — not people; to focus your energies on answers — not excuses.” – William Arthur Ward

39. “In days that follow, I discover that anger is easier to handle than grief.” – Emily Giffin

40. “Poetry = Anger x Imagination” – Sherman Alexie

41. “Anger is just anger. It isn’t good. It isn’t bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It’s like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice.” – Jim Butcher

Insightful anger quotes

42. “Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.” – Maya Angelou

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to read our collection of fighting cancer quotes about the battle of a lifetime.

43. “The best fighter is never angry.” – Lao Tzu

44. How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” – Marcus Aurelius

45. “The fiercest anger of all, the most incurable, is that which rages in the place of dearest love.” – Euripides

46. “Never forget what a man says to you when he is angry.” – Henry Ward Beecher

47. “When someone says that I’m angry it’s actually a compliment. I have not always been direct with my anger in my relationships, which is part of why I’d write about it in my songs because I had such fear around expressing anger as a woman.” – Alanis Morissette

48. “Anger is stupid, and stupidity will kill you more surely than your opponent’s blade.” – Patricia Briggs

49. “When angry, count four. When very angry, swear.” – Mark Twain

50. “Whatever begun in anger ends in shame.” – Benjamin Franklin

More anger quotes and sayings

51. “Angry people want you to see how powerful they are… loving people want you to see how powerful You are.” – Chief Red Eagle

52. “You can’t selectively numb your anger, any more than you can turn off all lights in a room, and still expect to see the light.” – Shannon L. Alder

53. “Do not let your anger lead to hatred, as you will hurt yourself more than you would the other.” – Stephen Richards

54. “Sometimes, it took seconds to control your anger, only to avoid the state of eternal feud.” – Toba Beta

55. “I am heartened to find so much wit in you, that you’d give thought to consequences and choose your way with reason, not passion only.” – Deborah J. Lightfoot

56. “If people keep stepping on you, wear a pointy hat.” – Joyce Rachelle

57. “To remove your anger, you need to remove your comfort.” – P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar

58. “If you are self-aware of what you are going through, you would be in a better position to understand others, and affect people around you.” – Oscar Auliq-Ice

59. “Anger could be a gift only if it’s used wisely.” – Dido Stargaze

60. “What is bitterly done in uncontrolled anger cannot be undone.” – Vinod Varghese Antony

Anger Quotes To Help You Stay Calm

61. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” — Yoda,

62. “I lose my temper, but it’s all over in a minute,’ said the student. ‘So is the hydrogen bomb,’ I replied. ‘But think of the damage it produces!” — George Sweeting.

63. “There’s nothing wrong with anger provided you use it constructively.” — Wayne Dyer

64. “When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred.” — Thomas Jefferson

65. “Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.” — Baltasar Gracian.

66. “Anger blows out the lamp of the mind.” — Robert G. Ingersoll.

67. The greatest remedy for anger is delay.” — Thomas Paine.

68. When you want to become free, your righteousness and anger are much less interesting than they used to be.” —- Ram Dass

69. People won’t have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.” — Stephen Hawking

70. “Anger makes us feel so isolated.” — Fred Rogers

Anger Quotes To Help You Manage Your Anger.

71. “The smarter you get, the more you realize anger is not worth it.” – Maxime Lagacé

72. “An action committed in anger is an action doomed to failure.” – Genghis Khan

73. “One’s anger is one’s greatest enemy and one’s calmness is one’s protection.” – Sathya Sai Baba

74. “Tears of despair can be fuel. Thunders of anger can be light.” – Maxime Lagacé

75. “I would not look upon anger as something foreign to me that I have to fight… I have to deal with my anger with care, with love, with tenderness, with nonviolence.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

76. “Everyone asks how to deal with anger when it arises. No one asks how to prevent anger from arising.” – James Pierce

77. “A man is about as big as the things that make him angry.” – Winston Churchill

78. “When you think you’ve been injured, apply this rule: If the community isn’t injured by it, neither am I. And if it is, anger is not the answer. Show the offender where he went wrong.” – Marcus Aurelius

79. “Anger: when reality and expectations don’t fit.” – Maxime Lagacé

80. “Anger solves nothing it only puts up your blood pressure.” – Catherine Pulsifer

Anger Quotes To Help Control The Feeling And Stay Calm

81. “Anger is our unconsciousness’s fastest way to let us know that our boundaries are being stepped on.” ― Wendy Hammond

82. “Remember Grace, if you let anger into your heart, it will push out your ability to love.” ― Bree Despain

83. “To be angry is to let others’ mistakes punish yourself.” ― Buddha

84. “Where there is anger there is always pain underneath.” ― Eckhart Tolle

85. “Great anger and violence can never build a nation.” ― Nelson Mandela

86. “Anger does not solve anything; it builds nothing.” ― Thomas S. Monson

87. “Anger is a valid emotion. It’s only bad when it takes control and makes you do things you don’t want to do.” ― Ellen Hopkins

88. “Once you recognize that anger brings you nothing but internal emotional stress, you are ready to move forward with a more clearly defined positive action.” ― Catherine Pulsifer

89. “In anger we should refrain both from speech and action.” ― Pythagoras

90. “Never be angry with something that can’t get angry with you.” ― Jack Gardner

Anger Quote To Encourage You To Control Anger

91. “The angriest person in a controversy is the one most liable to be in the wrong.” — John Tillotson

92. “If we could learn even a little to like ourselves, maybe our cruelties and angers might melt away.” — John Steinbeck

93. “The real destroyer of inner peace is fear and distrust. Fear develops frustration, frustration develops anger, anger develops violence.” — Dalai Lama

94. “Never make a decision in anger and never make a promise in happiness.” — Ali ibn Abi Talib

95. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” — Solomon

96. “Anger manages everything badly.” — Johannes Stadius

97. “Just as the winds whip up the sea, so does anger stir confusion in the mind.” — John Climacus

98. “A moment of anger can destroy a lifetime of work, whereas a moment of love can break barriers that took a lifetime to build.” — Leon Brown

99. “Every criticism, judgment, diagnosis, and expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need.” — Marshall B. Rosenberg

100. “If a man be under the influence of anger, his conduct will not be correct.” — Confucius

Anger Quotes To Help You Calm Down

101. “Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.” ― James Thurber

102. Anger is only one letter short of danger.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

103. “The best way to deal with anger is to prevent it.” ― Dalai Lama XIV

104. “An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason.” ― Publilius Syrus

105. If you want to conquer the anger of others, live with them.” ― Epictetus

106. “An angry man opens his mouth and shuts his eyes.” ― Cato the Elder

107. “Anger is a choice, not a condition.” ― Gary Chapman

108. “Anger is an energy that can be used for positive change.” ― Russell Eric Dobda

109. “Anger is a wind that blows out the lamp of the mind.” ― Robert G. Ingersoll

110. “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” ― Buddha

Anger Quotes To Help You Make Sober Decisions

111. “People hardly ever do anything in anger, of which they do not repent.” — Samuel Richardson

112. “To rule one’s anger is well; to prevent it is still better.” — Tryon Edwards

113. “A man that does not know how to be angry does not know how to be good.” — Henry Ward Beecher

114. “Anger begins in folly, and ends in repentance.” — Pythagoras

115. “If our early lessons of acceptance were as successful as our early lessons of anger how much happier we would all be.” — Peter McWilliams

116. “When anger rushes unrestrained to action, like a hot steed, it stumbles on its way. The man of thought strikes deepest and strikes safely.” — Richard Savage

117. “Never anger made good guard for itself.” — William Shakespeare

118. “Anger… it’s a paralyzing emotion… you can’t get anything done.” — Toni Morrison

119. Grab the broom of anger and drive off the beast of fear.” — Zora Neale Hurston

120. “Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.” — Christian D. Larson

Anger Quotes to Help You Soothe Your Emotions

121. “Tis hard to fight with anger but the prudent man keeps it under control.” — Democritus

122. “Anger becomes limiting, restricting. You can’t see through it. While anger is there, look at that, too. But after a while, you have to look at something else.” — Thylias Moss

123. “A man who cannot control his temper is not very likely to control his passions.” — David O. McKay

124. “Do not plunge thyself too far in anger.” — William Shakespeare

125. “Let this become your key – next time when anger comes, just watch it. Don’t say.” — Rajneesh

126. When anger spreads through the breath, guard thy tongue from barking idly.” — Sappho

127. “Anger is blood, poured and perplexed into froth; but malice is the wisdom of our wrath.” — William Davenant

128. “To those who err in judgment, not in will, anger is gentle.” — Sophocles

129. “Anger is an integrity-producing response to the invasion of your personal boundaries.” — Gabrielle Roth

130. “The strong is not the one who is physically powerful, but indeed, the one who controls himself when angry.” — Muhammad

What did you learn from these anger quotes?

It’s easy to let your anger get the best of you.

But as many of these quotes show, it usually leads to even bigger problems.

Staying angry at other people steals your joy and power in life.

While you feel that your anger is paying back the other person, it’s usually only hurting you more.

Learning to forgive is difficult.

If you’re struggling with anger in your life, choose a few of the quotes above and write them down somewhere where you will see them regularly.

Keep focusing on the danger that anger can bring and the benefit that you’ll receive from moving past it.