Our world, and especially our media, are obsessed with
outrage. If we are outraged, others pay attention to us and join in the
outrage. We feel empowered when we are outraged, like we are making a
difference. We are deceived.
We all know what outrage is. Outrage is defined as “an
extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation.”
Let's be outraged by the death of a wild animal. Let’s be
outraged at the loss of our constitution. Let's be outraged about killing
babies and selling their body parts to the highest bidder.
And the silliest of them all: Let's be outraged that people
aren't outraged by what gets me outraged.
With the obvious exception of the last one, most current
targets for outrage are legitimate issues, legitimate problems. And they
deserve legitimate solutions. They deserve change.
The problem that I have with outrage is that it betrays us. Outrage
lies to us.
First, outrage betrays us by pretending to be an appropriate
response. It convinces us somehow it is socially conscious to feel powerful
emotions, to shout at others with those powerful and controlling emotions, and
to post snarky statements and memes online. And if I manage to get others to
join me in my powerful emotions and snarky online posts, I’ve improved the
world. That’s not actually change, is it?
Outrage betrays us by substituting bitter words and
indignant feelings for actual action. I’m not saying the feelings are inappropriate
or that strong feelings are an error. I will say that if the words are focused
on finding fault or pointing out foolishness, that yes, I do consider that to
be inappropriate.
But the reality is that as satisfying as those emotions and
those witty memes are, they don’t change anything. There will be people who
kill animals, people who abrogate constitutional rights, and people who kill
babies in order to sell their body parts for profit. My powerful emotions won’t
change that.
Outrage also betrays us, because it’s a tool being used to
manipulate us. Talk show hosts and producers intentionally manipulate their
content in order to entice outrage in their audience, so that they’ll remain a
loyal and participative audience. Advertisers use outrage to sell you their products.
Political groups use outrage to persuade you to fund their groups, but even
more, they use outrage to direct your attention away from the things that they
don’t want you to see. It’s this last one that really irritates me.
Yes, it is legitimately sad that a lion was killed somewhere
in Africa. It’s sadder that the hunter who
killed him is the target of so much hatred that his life, his family and his
business have been destroyed. Personally, I find it saddest of all that more
people get more upset about a dead animal than about the murdering-babies-and-selling-their-body-parts
industry. I don’t think they deserve the same attention.
But that’s the success of outrage: there are people who
support the business of killing babies, and they don’t want to be the focus of this
much media attention, because then their secret might get out and their
billions of dollars of income might be reduced a little. So let’s focus
everybody’s outrage on an animal that was literally on the other side of the
planet, in a nation that none of us has ever visited, and that was hunted and
killed legally (at least by local law), and let’s get everybody to focus on
that dead cat so they’ll stop asking questions about our profitable
baby-murdering business.
And it’s working, isn’t it? (And it’s working so well that
I’ll bet I get people outraged over the lion who defend their outrage in the
comments.)
I'm really tired of outrage. I’m tired of being emotionally
wound up. I’m tired of being manipulated by the purveyors of outrage. I’m tired
of having others tell me what I should feel strongly about. I’m tired of
reading snarky and self-serving accusations and character assassinations of
people who think differently than we think they should. I’m tired of having
complex issues reduced to black-and-white caricatures so that they produce
increased outrage.
Forgive me, but I won't be participating in any outrage this
week. Please don't be offended that I won’t be joining you in yours.
“So what could we do instead of willingly volunteering to be
emotionally manipulated? Is there an alternative?” I’m so glad you asked. Yes,
there are a number of responses to things-that-are-wrong other than mere
outrage.
The most important first step, I suppose, is to decide which
issues are worth your attention. Don’t let the news media or social media tell
you what you should care about. You decide. Cheat if you want: its OK to pray
about this decision. It’s an important one, partly because this decision is the
beginning of you taking the control of your emotional responses away from those
who have delighted in controlling your emotions for you.
Second, I recommend sorting your emotions out. What are you
actually feeling, and why does this issue trigger those emotions? Which
emotions are actually yours, and which have been sold to you by others? And
listen to the emotions: what are they suggesting needs to be done? I’m not saying “don’t feel emotions.” I am,
however, saying “don’t stop with feeling emotions.”
I recommend asking the question, “Is this actually any of my
business?” If it isn’t, then this isn’t the place for you to get involved,
except perhaps by prayer. And some will argue that our prayer might be less
effective in causes that are none of our business. But that’s none of my
business, so I’ll move on.
And once you’ve decided that there is an issue worthy of
your attention, then take action. Here I’d argue that prayer is an excellent
first action to take, and that may be the extent of your action regarding this
issue. If you go no further than to pray, then you can at least know that
you’ve freed yourself from being manipulated by others for their own, possibly
nefarious purposes, and you’ve brought God’s attention to the matter. That’s
not insignificant at all.
And further action may be appropriate after you’ve prayed. I
recommend considering where your greatest influence lies (Consider which of the
Seven Mountains your influence reaches the
most) and take action in that arena. But take
thoughtful action, don’t just write or shout outraged words: leaders of
industry, government, culture know that outraged words are meaningless, and
they are generally ignored, if they don’t respond with attempts to further
manipulate us with outrage.
This is my attempt to respond in a method other than outrage to what appears to me
to be an outrageous error in our culture. This is my attempt to bring some
attention to the actual problem (the futility of being emotionally manipulated
by people who don’t have your best interest in their minds) and to offer an
alternative (choose what to be moved by, and how to move in response).
So now it’s your choice. You can be outraged at my
suggestions. Or you can actually make a difference. It’s up to you.
Here's a radical thought: Christian pop music is by NO means the only music that's acceptable - or desirable. Some believers like barbershop quartets! Others touch God in metal music or Dixieland or Baroque or dance music.
