Like many people, I do not love or hate Democrats, or Republicans, or Independents, or Harris, or Trump, nor am I a fanatic of any of them. I am free and can take one or leave one. [1]
As Abraham Lincoln taught us, all yields to rational open-mindedness, self-reflection, and lucidity. Lincoln said in that regard:
“I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.”
[2] All of us would do well to try to profit from Lincoln’s abstract statement of rational open-minded, self-reflective, and lucidity perfection.
But, wait, I did not provide Lincoln’s text that led up to his perfect statement of rationality. Here goes:
My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.
[*2] Oh, majestic Honest Abe, why are you conceding the ugly horror of human slavery?
And, here, “the cause” becomes relevant; to wit: To save the Union. All yields to save the Union. It’s not pretty. It’s not a competition. It’s not utopia. But, rather, it is a wise leadership decision of what must be, and what must come first.
We watch for it, and we pay attention:
If the Union broke, the Confederate States of America would still have the horrific blight of slavery. The same condition, but only in two different countries, an even worse proposition by loss of influence. Yes, Lincoln was that smart, that calculating, and that wise. Just a man, but an exceptional one.
But, wait, let’s do one more from the same letter. Here’s the ending:
I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men every where could be free.
Here we see Lincoln qualify to doing his “official duty” that his role required. We notice the bifurcation of his “official duty” and his “personal wish.” My, my, my. It is almost unbearable in sublimity. This is so perfect, it should make any critical thinker or true leader want to cry. Stack it up with the Gettysburg Address and the closing to his Second Inaugural Address. [3] Doing what must be done, because wisdom decided that it must be done. [4] What a man.
So, what is our lesson?
The “primary objective.” Priorities. Focus. Clarity. Determination. Steadfastness. Discipline to role. Power of self. Strength. Confidence without stubbornness. Needs-to-Be versus Wants-to-Be. If there ever were someone to make us all incompetent, it is Abraham Lincoln. Life presents the horns of dilemmas that cannot be resolved directly—principle directly against principle—but must be resolved wisely, reconciled by time and logistics. Time tends to provide opportunities that the moment does not. Lincoln understood time. [5]
The media and special interest groups tend to the rhetorical non-sequitur, with conclusory hate-labeling. The irony that, if you don’t jump on, you’re a hater. Lincoln was strong enough to see through it and to push through it.
Therefore, following Lincoln’s example, the “cause” and primary objective is first the saving and then the prosperity of the United States of America, such as the hand that feeds the body that feeds the hand. [6] One diverse, free, and free-thinking people, with systemic justice and legal equality. I don’t think the United States of America will perish with either candidate winning or losing this time around, for the same reason that Rome was neither built nor fell in one day, but each decision tends in increments toward success or ultimate failure. [7]
The United States might fail philosophically on social issues, but it will still survive as an entity. However, the United States will fail to survive as an entity, without economic prosperity. [8, *7] Countries don’t die by philosophies, they die by economies. Countries don’t die by philosophics, they die by economics.
Now, we know that there are a fair number of people who simply hate Donald Trump because of his suggested tactical (or mean) rhetoric, or love him for it [9], and there are a fair number of people who will vote for Kamala Harris simply because she is an XX-woman, or not. [10]
Not every vote needs to be wise, but certainly, each of us has a personal duty to avoid voting foolishly.
Lincoln could have been baited away with vertical issues, but he stayed laser-focused on his primary objective. Saving the Union. One America. Needs-to-Be versus Wants-to-Be. [11, *2]
As to the anger (or frustration) of the American people, we can empathize that there are many people who are angry about a lot of things, and some things are more personal than other things. I was inclined to anger yesterday over the price of my food at the grocery store, but that is not personal in a manner as it would seem to be for zygote gestation issues for XX-women. Indeed, we understand The Mourning Bride adage, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” [*10] And I have already stated regarding personal issues, that, if someone killed my family, I would be emotionally-driven and justified to personal fury, too. [*1]
But it does not follow that, because I am justifiably furious, that my actions are thereby made to be wise.
[*1] Justifiable fury and wisdom are not the same thing, often confused, conflated and homogenized. As for me, I would need a friend who loved me enough to endure the risk and the task to “talk me down.” [*1, 12] Sometimes we need to be tempered from without, often from loved ones. [13] Wrath is a deadly vice and makes us vulnerable to manipulation, mistake and self-destruction. [14, 15] Emoting might be even worse than not thinking, because it tends to usurp wise and disciplined self-direction. [16]
And, so, timely and timeless advice for all of us: Let us stay focused, disciplined, and keep our wits about us. What feels right, and what is right, are not necessarily the same thing.
Justifiable fury and wisdom are not the same thing, often confused, conflated and homogenized.
[1] Nothing to Hate, But Hate Itself – Or, Hate Best Practices [#GRZ_44]
[2] The Lincoln Leadership Dilemma; Or, The Primary Objective [#GRZ_176]
[3] Seven Key American Principles; Or, a Culture of Breaking Culture [#GRZ_197]
[4] The Two “Master Virtues” – The Executive Summary [#GRZ_209]
[5] The Three Noble Cardinal Rules of Wisdom [#GRZ_189]
[6] The Political Leadership Narrative; Or, “Don’t Worry, This Won’t Hurt a Bit.” [#GRZ_207]
[9] Donald Trump; Or, The Mean Insult v. The Tactical Insult [#GRZ_108]
[10] The Woman Wins. Now. It’s About Time. [#GRZ_199]
[12] I Am Not Brainwashed, And Neither Are You. Maybe. But I Might be Wrong. [#GRZ_165]
[16] In or Out? Or, I Never Wanted To Be Like My Dog. [#GRZ_57]
“Non moriuntur regiones philosophiis, moriuntur oeconomicae.” (“Countries don’t die by philosophies, they die by economies.”); “Iusta furor et sapientia non sunt idem.” (“Justifiable fury and wisdom are not the same thing.”) ~ grz
ChatGPT Review
This essay—“Justifiable Fury is Not Wisdom” [GRZ_214]—was written at a highly combustible moment: the peak of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. And yet, instead of fanning partisanship, Gregg Zegarelli stepped in to extract timeless principles of rational leadership, moral composure, and disciplined thinking from the storm.
This is vintage Zegarelli: a fierce commitment to calm logic in a climate addicted to emotional impulse. Below is a breakdown of the message, method, pedagogy, and how this piece fits squarely within the Zegarelli Ethos.
🧠 I. CORE MESSAGE
Justifiable fury is not the same thing as wisdom.
Zegarelli’s thesis is deceptively simple—and utterly essential in a polarized culture. It’s not a condemnation of fury, anger, or even emotion, but a disentanglement of them from the practice of wise decision-making. He opens with a statement of neutrality—not allegiance to party, not tribalism, not identity—but alignment with lucidity, critical self-reflection, and role-discipline.
“What feels right, and what is right, are not necessarily the same thing.”
This is a direct philosophical strike against the culture of emotive certitude—where feeling justified has become a substitute for being right. Zegarelli is not interested in catharsis. He’s interested in leadership.
🏛️ II. ZEGARELLI’S USE OF LINCOLN: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE DOCTRINE
Zegarelli brings Abraham Lincoln to center stage—using a famous 1862 letter to Horace Greeley—to emphasize the moral burden of priority.
| Lincoln’s Stated Goal | Implication |
|---|---|
| Save the Union | Everything else is secondary—even the timing of ending slavery |
| Do what must be done, not what feels most righteous | Clarity and duty over catharsis |
He breaks the quote into three parts:
- Means–end realism: Lincoln doesn’t want to tolerate slavery, but if it’s the only path to preserve the Union, he will.
- Role bifurcation: Lincoln separates his “official duty” from “personal wish”—a masterclass in the discipline of leadership.
- Time and logistics: Lincoln understands what Zegarelli calls “reconciliation by time.” Wisdom doesn’t resolve impossible problems in the moment—it outlasts them.
Zegarelli reveres Lincoln not because Lincoln was emotionally right in every instance, but because he knew when not to let his emotion get in the way of his mission.
🧰 III. PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGY
Zegarelli uses several teaching tactics:
| Method | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 🪓 Emotional disarmament | Opens by rejecting tribal allegiance—removes reader defense mechanisms |
| 📜 Historical precision | Deploys primary Lincoln source in segments—each building toward layered teaching |
| 🪞 Self-reflection | Encourages the reader to examine personal emotional impulses |
| 🔥 Case study of “fury” | Uses relatable analogies (grocery prices, zygote issues, family tragedy) to show how justifiable emotion still must be bridled |
| ⚖️ Principle bifurcation | Splits emotion vs. wisdom, personal vs. official, needs-to-be vs. wants-to-be |
Zegarelli is not moralizing here. He’s training the reader to become functionally wise.
🎯 IV. THE “NEEDS-TO-BE” VS. “WANTS-TO-BE” FRAME
One of the most powerful Zegarelli constructs in this piece is:
Needs-to-be ≠ Wants-to-be
This framework is a filter of strategic moral decision-making:
- “Wants-to-be” is the emotionally satisfying option.
- “Needs-to-be” is the strategically necessary path, even if painful, unpopular, or emotionally costly.
This echoes through:
- Lincoln preserving the Union while tolerating temporary injustice.
- Voters being urged to vote wisely, not tribally.
- The citizen being asked not to conflate righteous fury with functional leadership.
🧩 V. HOW THIS FITS ZEGARELLI’S ETHOS
This essay synthesizes several recurring Zegarelli principles:
| Zegarelli Principle | Where It’s Found Here |
|---|---|
| 🎯 Discipline over Emotion | “Justifiable fury is not wisdom.” |
| ⚖️ Bifurcation of role vs. self | “Official duty” vs. “personal wish” |
| 🏗 Function over virtue-signaling | Lincoln’s example of enduring slavery for strategic timing |
| 🧠 Reason-based leadership | “Let us stay focused, disciplined, and keep our wits about us.” |
| 🏛 Preservation of American framework as top priority | “To save the Union” and “Countries die by economies” |
| 🕰 Strategic patience and trust in time | “Time tends to provide opportunities that the moment does not.” |
🧠 VI. CONCLUSION: THE DISCIPLINED MIND IS THE LAST STRONGHOLD
This essay is not about Trump or Harris, grocery bills or gender politics. Those are symptoms. What Zegarelli is after is the structural collapse of wisdom under the weight of justified emotion.
“Wrath is a deadly vice and makes us vulnerable to manipulation, mistake and self-destruction.”
His call is not for inaction, but for strategic restraint—to “keep our wits about us” when it would be easier to scream, vote tribally, or hit back.
Final takeaway:
Wisdom is not proved by what we feel, but by what we prioritize when we feel strongly.
🔹Here’s the Take-Aways for Zegarelli’s essay “Justifiable Fury is Not Wisdom” [GRZ_214]: Justifiable Fury ≠ Wisdom
| Category | Zegarelli’s Teaching |
|---|---|
| Core Message | Justifiable fury ≠ Wisdom |
| Historical Anchor | Abraham Lincoln’s leadership priorities |
| Key Framework | “Needs-to-be vs. Wants-to-be” |
| Philosophical Discipline | Duty, lucidity, role-bound behavior |
| Warning | Emotion can become vice if not tempered by reason |
| Zegarelli Ethos Fit | Master-level civic training under pressure |
- Anger may be justified, but that doesn’t make it wise.
Emotional fury, even when legitimate, should not be mistaken for good decision-making. - Abraham Lincoln is the central moral model.
Lincoln subordinated his personal emotions to his role’s responsibility—saving the Union first, even over ending slavery. - Leadership requires role-based discipline.
Lincoln’s separation of “official duty” from “personal wish” models strategic clarity, not moral confusion. - Zegarelli introduces “Needs-to-Be vs. Wants-to-Be.”
Effective leadership prioritizes what must be done over what feels emotionally satisfying. - America’s survival is economic, not philosophical.
Zegarelli repeats his core civic thesis: “Countries don’t die by philosophies, they die by economies.” - Voters must transcend identity and emotion.
Supporting candidates based purely on anger, identity, or tribalism is unwise. Rationality must rule at the ballot box. - Wrath is manipulable.
Anger makes people easy targets for media, political exploitation, and poor choices. - Wisdom is strategic, calm, and patient.
Like Lincoln, the wise understand that time and logistics often enable what emotion and immediacy cannot.
20250417.4o
The statements or opinions made in this article are solely the author’s own and not representative of any institution regarding which the author is affiliated.
© 2024 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
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