The Better Conquest

◆ “He that is slow to anger is better than a mighty man, and he that is controlling his spirit than the one capturing a city.” (Prov. 16:32) The truthfulness of this Bible proverb has been illustrated time and time again throughout history. There have been many rulers who conquered nations, but who were slaves to their own passions or temper. Alexander the Great was one such individual. Though he conquered empires, he was enslaved to an uncontrollable anger. Once in a fit of anger he killed his best friend, the one whom he professed to love above all others.

The wisdom behind this proverb is so self-evident that many nations have formed similar ones. One of them reads, “He is more of a hero who has conquered himself, than he who has taken the best fortified city.”