Lawrence: [Seeing gun and bullets] I didn’t know you hunted monsters.
Singh: Sometimes monsters hunt you.
‘The Wolfman’, like all good monster movies, be they remakes or not, remains a cautionary tale. If we take the wolf half of a wolfman (aka. werewolf) to represent the inner beast, the raging animal aspect of us [...]

Ray: What’s the best way to attain inner peace despite being in the midst of those who have a blaming attitude?
Shian: Why not take it a case at a time? E.g. Blaming session #1 means opportunity #1 to explain why the blaming is not needed. If you do it long enough without being worked up, [...]

When I was younger and more foolish,
I used to avoid confrontation
because I would react in anger.
When I became older and wiser,
I still avoid confrontation
because I knew anger wasn’t needed.
Confrontation won’t do,
if it is to choose to confront angrily.
Emotional confrontation makes matters murkier.
Clarification will do,
if it is to choose to clarify calmly.
Rational clarification makes matters clearer.

A Tit for a Tat (40)

Tit: Why are you angry at me?
Tat: I’m not angry!
Tit: You sound angry.
Tat: I was just talking loudly!
Tit: Those who are angry talk loudly.
Tat: I said I was just talking loudly!
Tit: How do I know if you are angry or just talking loudly?
Tat: I never get angry!
Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2009/08/different-differences
Previous aT4aT: [...]

A Tit for a Tat (36)
Tit: He agitated me!
Tat: How?
Tit: By being agitated at me!
Tat: For?
Tit: Something unfounded!
Tat: If so, your agitation at his unfounded agitation is doubly unfounded!
Next aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2009/07/why-did-you-become
Previous aT4aT: http://moonpointer.com/new/2009/07/were-all-mental

Is one who suffers fools gladly one who is gladly a fool?
Q:  What if someone is unreasonable? Should we suffer fools gladly? Should we speak up? I spoke up once but was disturbed that it displeased the person, while there was some anger in me. After that, I simply did things my way, against her [...]

While on a cab with two colleagues to AMK Hub after today’s Pure Land class, we were chatting among ourselves when the cabbie suddenly gestured violently at the driver of the car that he drew up to. He wound down his window, yelling while pointing to the front – ‘It’s him! Not me!’ We weren’t [...]

‘Scold! Scold! Scold!’
Listen… listen… listen…
Gosh! He’s right!
May I accept the fault-finding graciously.
No need to get mad myself.
‘Scold! Scold! Scold!’
Listen… listen… listen…
Gosh! He’s wrong!
May I clarify the misunderstanding graciously.
No need to get mad myself.

If you are deluded
that the deluded are so,
are you not similar?
- Stonepeace
When you are petty
towards the petty
just because they are petty towards you,
how are you different from them?
When you are angry
towards the angry
just because they are angry towards you,
how are you different from them?
When you are unforgiving
towards the unforgiving
just because they are unforgiving towards you,
how [...]

A toddler nephew is undergoing a strange phase of growing up. Barely a month ago, his baby sister was born. Suddenly, his behaviour became a little incomprehensibly moody and anger-prone… even to himself! He seemed to experience a form of existential anguish that he couldn’t articulate with his limited vocabulary. When asked ‘Are you alright?’, [...]