The Lure and Logic of Outrage

Photo credit: Mark-Chadwick ©2010-2014

Guest blog post by Deah Curry PhD

Last Monday I had a moment that lasted the whole day long, and seeped a little bit into Tuesday, like a greedy thief of my normally rational mind. 

I didn’t like it. It was not a happy sunshine and champagne kind of moment.  No, it was a shock, outrage, and despair moment.

The cause of this perturbation is not really important. What mattered was how I reacted, how caught up I got, how my own ugly dark side got fueled, and how it grew within me a scary desire to lash out and hurt everyone I perceived to be even remotely associated with the cause.

Ugh. Not my finest moment, to be sure.

No, on that day I was an inspiration to no one, much less a help, nor a model of sanity or critical thinking.  I was far from an example of spiritual compassion.  I had failed to walk the path of higher Truth and Wisdom.  Not that I don’t fail that ideal a little bit on other days, too, but this was a major detour.

On that day, I was one with the ranters. It was an angry but impotent experience. How exhausting it must be to be in rant mode all the time, I thought for an instant as I took a breather tea break. And then another trigger came by, luring me back into my indignant – as in, lacking dignity – and outraged energy and off I went, chasing a virtual boogeyman across the social minefields of cyberspace.

Why am I sharing this with you?  

Well I learned a few things that may be worth contemplating, on a calm day, with a logical mind and nice glass of lemonade, and a cookie.

First, no matter who you are or where you are in life, there will be moments of outrage that sneak up on you. They may be well justified, or not, but that’s not what matters.  What matters is whether you can feel the outrage and retain at least a smidgen of capacity for self-reflection, because without the ability to observe yourself even when wearing the dark uglies of indignation, you aren’t learning and growing.

Second, anger is easily fueled but not so easily harnessed for empowered social change, or channeled into personally productive, constructive, problem-solving solutions. And we too often confuse anger and passion.

This moment of mine coached me on the difference – anger is exhausting, I realized from the depth of cellular knowing. And it makes me feel bad about everything.  Passion is energizing, and increases opportunities for inspiring sunshine and champagne moments.

I want more of those.