Let's save and harness our collective ‘outrage energy’
And use it for those things that actually matter to us
“We suffer not from the events in our lives but from our judgment about them.”
- Epictetus
I don’t know about you all, but I’ve been exhausted lately. After two-plus years of the pandemic, ugly political divisions and arguments, basic rights being threatened in the nation’s highest court…well, it can feel tiring.
But, above all else, I’m tired of being angry.
If you’re like me, you might find yourself immersed in news content, feeling more and more powerless with each article. Maybe you log in to Twitter to see people arguing with one another over something silly, like the Amber Heard / Johnny Depp trial.
When you engage with news content as much as I often do, you start to get the sense that everyone is angry all the time, that all citizens in this country are somehow always fighting against some kind of injustice - or with each other.
Here’s a quick smattering of headlines from just this morning:
Don’t get it twisted. All of these items are things that yes, some of us, should rightfully be upset about. But, my point is that it takes too much of our own mental energy to fight all of these battles all the times in our heads.
Let me give you an example.
Here’s the lede to this story:
Some staff at Sony Group Corp. are seething following an email Thursday from the head of PlayStation that urged employees to “respect differences of opinion” on abortion rights before entering into five detailed paragraphs about his two cats’ first birthday.
First, some context. Sony PlayStation President Jim Ryan sent out an email to staff after news leaked of the draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Now, if you just read the lede or the headline, you’d probably think, ‘Wow, this president is a real jerk, super cold-hearted and tone-deaf.’ But, it’s the actual email from Ryan where we get into the nuance.
“In the email seen by Bloomberg, PlayStation president Jim Ryan didn’t take a stance on abortion rights, instead writing that the company and its community are ‘multi-faceted and diverse, holding many different points of view.’ He wrote that ‘we owe it to each other and to PlayStation’s millions of users to respect differences of opinion among everyone in our internal and external communities. Respect does not equal agreement. But it is fundamental to who we are as a company and as a valued global brand.’”
He’s not saying he is against Roe v. Wade, or that the company is taking a stance. He’s just saying that some people who are against abortion also play video games. It reminds me of the controversy around Michael Jordan in the 90s, when he wouldn’t support a Democratic politician in North Carolina, because “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”
In order to live in a democratic society, we have to respect that not everyone will agree with us. Like Jim Ryan said in his email, “respect does not equal agreement.” I don’t think Roe v. Wade should be overturned, which means I believe in freedom of choice for people. And that includes private companies. If they don’t want to wade into political commentary (and honestly, can we stop asking brands to do that?) I see no problem with that. Companies aren’t here to serve or protect us. That is supposed to be the government’s job.
My point here, ultimately, is that we need to focus on the things that are actually important. Before finding yourself getting worked up over something, ask yourself, ‘How does this issue affect my life?’ If it doesn’t, then move on. If abortion access is important to you (and it should be for all of us), then the outrage over Roe v. Wade is justified.
The problem we have collectively is that there is a steady stream of outrage that we can feed on - anytime we want. We can open Twitter and see arguments for how absurd Amber Heard’s testimony was, and also on how Johnny Depp is just another abuser getting a pass. None of which affects our daily lives, so let’s forget it and move on.
But perhaps more importantly, when we engage in this ‘collective outrage,’ we aren’t bringing anyone along to our cause. Those who want to be angry with us are already members of our ‘tribe,’ and those who might disagree or want to engage in honest dialogue don’t see an opening.
Here’s a perfect example of that, as explained in this Twitter thread by Noah Smith (click to open):
Never fear though, I have some tips to help you refocus your ‘outrage’ into something more positive and helpful.
Check your media usage.
Where are you getting your information? What is the author or publication’s mission or goals?
Ask yourself, ‘How does this issue or story affect my life?’
If you’re not affected personally or know those who are, you have permission to lower it on your priority list - and release the stress that comes with carrying that weight. This isn’t to say you can’t be empathetic and well-informed on what people are going through, but it’s important to know where you can contribute.
Ask yourself, ‘What is this specific content or story trying to do?’
Is it informational/educational? Entertainment-first and facts later? (looking at you, Joe Rogan), or is it partisan content meant to divide and anger?
Once you get into a practice of setting the appropriate amount of outrage to the issues and topics that impact your life (not the Depp/Heard trial), you’ll start to feel a little lighter, and hopefully a little more inspired to take action in your community. And that’s where our collective actions - and outrage - can actually make a meaningful difference.
Rose / Thorn / Bud
Rose (the good)
After another mass shooting in another elementary school in this country, I was incredibly disheartened about the state of affairs. That’s why it brightened my day when I saw the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays use their Twitter accounts to not post game updates, but instead statistics on gun violence in America.
Very cool…I would LOVE to see more of this.
Thorn (the bad)
Turns out that Sharknado movie might not just be a movie after all.
NASA satellite images captured the eruption of a mega volcano deep in the ocean. That isn’t unusual. What is unusual is that the images also captured fish and sharks swimming around in the hot, acidic waters surrounding it.
Bud (what I’m looking ahead to)
We’re starting to see some studies that show the negative environmental impacts of gas appliances. In fact, the researchers behind some of these studies were so shocked by the results, they’ve actually started ripping out gas appliances in their own homes for the health of their own children.
This just furthers my argument for eating less meat as well.
Weekly Recommendation
This week’s quote comes from ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus, whom I learned about listening to the Daily Stoic Podcast.
Hosted by author Ryan Holiday, the show gets into a lot about Epictetus and other stoic thinkers, like Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism is something I’ve been drawn to for a while now, and the podcast offers up some interesting and worthwhile tips for living.
Thank You!
Thanks for reading. Send ideas, tips, thoughts to higherthinking@substack.com. Follow me on twitter @imnoahglick. And if you want to support this work, feel free to venmo or paypal me a couple bucks to keep the coffee flowing.
Podcast versions of this newsletter will be available in the coming weeks.
Be good to each other!
Cheers,
Noah