On the Nature of Cursing

I was making a cup of tea this morning. Nothing too unusual there, I usually have one at work to get the day going. Bit of a habit, you might say. Anyway, I was making my tea, and I spilled hot water all over the counter. Typically, for me at least, and probably many others, this would lead to an expression of annoyance, ranging between mild (often) and furious (occasionally). Mild expressions of annoyance are a softly-spoken 'damn!'.

This morning, however, I remained silent. I calmly went to the paper towel dispenser, removed two paper towels  in a controlled fashion, and carefully wiped the surface dry. I made no outburst, mild or otherwise, and did not let this minor mishap affect my mood.

Buddhists would suggest (if I've understood correctly) that to remain calm will grant you calmness, that the expression of annoyance leads to the annoyance itself. That's neither as deep nor as far-fetched as some would have you believe, and it certainly seemed to work for me this morning. I remained calm and thus was calm.

There is an alternative belief, that to bottle everything up inside is bad for you, that you should let things out. The 'Latin temperament', it's often called. However, I've realised that to suggest this as an alternative viewpoint to the 'Calm-ist' way is to miss a point somewhere - to have an annoyance to voice, first you must be annoyed. A vicious circle if ever there was one. Remain calm and there will be nothing to hold back, nothing to bottle up inside.

So, is there a point to all this rambling? If there is, it's this: many things are worth getting worked up about. Spilling a little hot water is not one of them.