Passion

Anger, according to Socrates, is essentially an unbridled passion. The Stoics warned against the desires as they are emotions that have swelled to such a degree that they are no longer controllable. In fact, in his essay De Ira, Socrates suggests that we not partake in passions such as anger ever and avoid them at all costs. He goes so far as to call them useless and even dangerous. This idea makes sense in that we lose control when such strong emotions overtake us. This emotion is a state that appears to be devoid of self-control.