Don't let people see when you're mad - just smile and laugh.

Hear, O child of the ages, the wisdom spoken in the words of Astro: "Don't let people see when you're mad—just smile and laugh." Though simple in sound, these words carry a deep current of guidance, flowing from the rivers of discipline, self-mastery, and the ancient art of concealment. For anger is a fire: when loosed unguarded, it consumes; but when contained, it warms and strengthens the soul.

The meaning of this counsel is not to deny one’s feelings, but to learn mastery over them. Anger, left unchecked, has ruined kingdoms, friendships, and families. Yet the one who can veil their wrath with smile and laughter becomes like the warrior who hides his blade until the moment of necessity. To conceal anger is not weakness—it is strength greater than steel, for it is the dominion of the self over the self.

Consider the origin of such wisdom in the traditions of the ancients. In the courts of emperors and kings, those who could not master their temper were swiftly undone. The Stoic philosophers of Greece and Rome—Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius—taught that to govern others, one must first govern oneself. They counseled not the erasure of passion, but the transmutation of it into patience and strategy. Smiling in the face of provocation was their shield; laughter was their sword against despair.

History, too, offers examples. Abraham Lincoln, though battered by criticism and political enemies, was renowned for his calm humor. When insulted or provoked, he would often answer with a joke or a gentle word, masking the storm within. This habit not only preserved his dignity but disarmed his foes and soothed his allies. His ability to smile and laugh in adversity helped preserve a nation at the brink of destruction. Such is the power of restraint and controlled appearance.

Astro’s words also reflect the wisdom of performance and survival. In public life, and even in daily human dealings, one cannot afford to show every wound or every blaze of temper. To wear a smile even in the furnace of irritation is to preserve one’s energy, to deny adversaries the satisfaction of seeing you shaken. It is the art of masking, not for deceit, but for dignity and strength. In time, laughter itself can quench the embers of anger, transforming the soul from turmoil to peace.

But let us not mistake this teaching as repression. The wise do not bury anger in silence; they channel it. They turn the sting of insult into the fuel of perseverance, the fire of frustration into the light of creativity. The smile and laugh are not denial but transformation—they are the alchemy of the spirit, which transmutes pain into power. By mastering the outer face, the inner self gains room to choose wisely, rather than be enslaved by impulse.

From this, a practical lesson arises: when next you feel mad, pause. Do not allow your eyes to flash nor your tongue to wound. Instead, breathe, compose yourself, and offer a smile. If you can, laugh—even if softly, even if only at the absurdity of the moment. This act shields your dignity, disarms hostility, and preserves your strength. Later, in solitude, you may reckon with your anger and decide its true purpose.

Thus, O listener, remember: the one who masters their wrath through smile and laughter is greater than the one who conquers cities. For the fiercest battle is not against others, but against the tempest within. Astro’s counsel is a torch in this storm—hold it high, and let its light guide you to patience, dignity, and the strength of self-command.