What we know as the inflammatory faculty of our soul is a non-rational aspect of our soul which is responsible to avoid or attack, that is a flight or fight response.

In a cured (healthy) soul, the non-rational aspect should obey the rational aspects, firstly to the mind which is the eye of the soul and should govern our entire existence. The mind, helped by logic should make correct decisions upon our irrational aspects – that is the appetitive and inflammatory.

The correct behavior of the inflammatory aspect is seen as courage and bravery in making good deeds and induce repentance if we did something wrong. It shouldn’t be targeted to other persons but just to ourselves. Unfortunately in our daily life we use it too often to attack others and that’s why we often give into anger a bad reputation.

It isn’t bad, since it is a natural aspect of our soul, but that we use it improperly most of the time.

Based on Saint Gregory Palamas, Elder Joseph of Vatopedi

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