Don’t Fuel the Fire

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“It is an easy matter,” says Plutarch, “to stop the fire that is kindled only in hair, wool, candle-wick, or a little chaff; but, if it once has taken hold of matter that hath solidity and thickness, it soon inflames and consumes. Just so, he that observes anger while it is in the beginning, and sees it by degrees smoking and taking fire from some speech, or chaff-like scurrility, he need take no great pains to extinguish it, but oftentimes puts an end to it only by silence or neglect. For, as he that adds no fuel to fire has already as good as put it out, so he that doth not feed anger at the first, nor blow the fire in himself, hath prevented and destroyed it.”

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