so the lower it is, the less reason he
has for despising. Thus a nobleman is angry if he be insulted by a
peasant; a wise man, if by a fool; a master, if by a servant.

If, however, the littleness or deficiency lessens the unmerited
contempt, then it does not increase but lessens anger. In this way
those who repent of their ill-deeds, and confess that they have done
wrong, who humble themselves and ask pardon, mitigate anger,
according to Prov. 15:1: "A mild answer breaketh wrath": because, to
wit, they seem not to despise, but rather to think much of those
before whom they humble themselves.

This suffices for the Reply to the First Objection.

Reply Obj. 2: There are two reasons why anger ceases at the sight of
death. One is because the dead are incapable of sorrow and sensation;
and this is chiefly what the angry seek in those with whom they are
angered. Another reason is because the dead seem to have attained to
the limit of evils. Hence anger ceases in regard to all who are
grievously hurt, in so far as this hurt surpasses the measure of just
retaliation.

Reply Obj. 3: To be despised by one's friends seems also a greater
indignity. Consequently if they despise us by hurting or by failing
to help, we are angry with them for the same reason for which we are
angry with those who are beneath us.
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QUESTION 48

OF THE EFFECTS OF ANGER
(In Four Articles)

We must now consider the effects of anger: under which head there are
four points of inquiry:

(1) Whether anger causes pleasure?

(2) Whether above all it causes heat in the heart?

(3) Whether above all it hinders the use of reason?

(4) Whether it causes taciturnity?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 48, Art. 1]

Whether Anger Causes Pleasure?

Objection 1: It would seem that anger does not cause pleasure.
Because sorrow excludes pleasure. But anger is never without sorrow,
since, as stated in _Ethic._ vii, 6, "everyone that acts from anger,
acts with pain." Therefore anger does not cause pleasure.

Obj. 2: Further, the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 5) that "vengeance
makes anger to cease, because it substitutes pleasure for pain":
whence we may gather that the angry man derives pleasure from
vengeance, and that vengeance quells his anger. Therefore on the
advent of pleasure, anger departs: and consequently anger is not an
effect united with pleasure.

Obj. 3: Further, no effect hinders its cause, since