The Buddha often spoke of the poisons of greed, anger, ignorance, and delusion. These poisons are still very much with us today.
Greed is our endless craving, and anger is what arises when our greed is unfulfilled. Ignorance is our lack of understanding the truths that underlie what is happening to us and around us. Delusion is mistaking wrong ideas for the truth. Due to our ignorance and delusion, we believe in ideas that are wrong and reject those that are correct and beneficial. But we do so not because we are bad people. Lazy? Yes. Easily distracted? Yes. Impatient and judgmental? Yes.
But because we are bad people? No.
Lacking the ability to clearly discern right from wrong, we automatically react out of our bad habits and, consequently, we are impatient and inconsiderate. In most instances, our intentions are not to harm others. We are just so easily caught up in our desires, wishes, and expectations. When these are unfulfilled, in our impatience and disappointment, we give in to anger, which rises from within us, uninvited and unnoticed.
So easily, so automatically, we feel resentment and irritation, if not outright rage. And in so feeling, we are again immersed in our greed, anger, ignorance, and delusion.