My personal ambition or motto is "To live sanely and morally, and to be at peace." When I've been confronted by sin and the overwhelming ugliness and corruption of modern life, I've tried to let that guide and animate my actions and thoughts -- it's worked fairly well, as I'm able to reject a lot of the things that imperiled me in the past particularly in the urge to retaliate when harmed.

That being said, when we're confronted with the corruption of the world, the easiest and cheapest response is anger or indignation. It's a response to the trauma of being shocked and scandalized. We're being robbed of any childlike idealism we  may have had when we realize that in large part, goodness has to be sought in the world and isn't obvious (and frankly, it usually isn't found), and the places that we find true goodness are rare and definite (IMO, I find goodness in God and the sacraments and holy places or books, but I'm not so sure that it exists with religious people, sad to say).

The anger and bitterness is also a defense against how one is inevitably treated if one openly lives as a Catholic. If people are aware that you're really and truly a Catholic and not what I term a "Protestant-Catholic," there are a range of negative responses (because authentic Catholic belief is so at odds with moral corruption). Inevitably, you'll be seen as dim-witted (I find that the easiest to cope with, and I actually find it amusing when people insinuate I'm stupid), or delusional, etc... the most difficult to deal with is the people who are the most morally corrupt will try to harm you --it's virtually instinctive with them (I have begun to suspect that people the most vehement reactions may have something demonic going on, because their reactions are so aggressive and irrational). When you're bewildered by someone trying to victimize you, you become angry -- or that's what the world TELLS us we should feel...

Example:

I had to have surgery years ago, and as the surgeon started examining me, my scapular became visible. He stopped dead in his tracks and asked me what that was or if I was Catholic, or something to that effect. I told him that I was Catholic, and then he grumbled something about them being horrible evil people or something, and he ended the examination.

Fast-forward to the day of surgery. I overslept by 30 minutes (I think God was trying to protect me, frankly) and arrived late. When I woke up from surgery, I realized that I had a really large fresh scar on my back, over my right shoulder. It looked as though someone might have use a cauterizing tool to create it and it was no where near my surgery site. I'm pretty sure that surgeon did that, although I've never told anyone (except for thousands of people on a message board, just now, cough...).

I think it would be impossible for most people to bear that kind of of a very literal violation without experiencing rage or anger. I felt mostly shock and bewilderment. The only thing I learned from that experience was something I already knew: the people are mostly morally corrupt. There's no need to be angry at a simple fact. We are also very self-cherishing, and our egos tell us we should fight back if someone dares to violate us -- nonsense. The world seeks to violate us and will continue to do so, for so long as we do not yield.

I think he did go back for a follow up, and he seemed perversely gratified to see me, but when he realized I not only would not retaliate against him, but would continue to be humane and decent, he seemed extremely uncomfortable -- this has also happened to me a number of times, when people realize I will not retaliate or play some perverse game. It's very interesting, and I'm grateful I can now keep a dispassionate distance.