On Coping with Outrage Fatigue
Late last month, Scientific American published an article titled Outrage Fatigue Is Real. These Trips May Help. I was intrigued, especially by the promise of tips as I (and perhaps you) have experienced an increasing amount of outrage over the year. Outrage is generally defined as a transgression against a perceived sense of right and wrong; a perception of injustice that generates feelings of anger and disgust. In the preface to her 2024 book Essays on Moral Outrage in Culture and Politics, Myra Mendible noted that “We live in a simmering stew of outrage from the price of meat to the state of our democracy.”
Well, yeah. Here’s some that instantly came to my mind:
A convicted felon as incoming U.S. President.
Many of his unqualified cabinet nominees (see more here, here)
His plan to roll back protective regulations, build a border wall, and deport millions of people.
Blaming California wildfires on the state’s governor.
Rattling the international community with talk of taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal and turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state. And that’s just here at home.
But my own sense of outrage is not limited to Mr. Trump. Here are a few others that made my pot boil: -- and you can add yours as comments.
The Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade
The Supreme Court vitiating the Chevron Doctrine (see more here, here, here)
The Supreme Court decision on Presidential Immunity
Voter disenfranchisement
Workers dying every day on the job (read weekly death toll here on Confined Space)
Misinformation about vaccines
The Louisiana Health Department’s policy on vaccines (read my blog on this here)
The backlash against DEI efforts and programs
Book bans
And there are plenty of international issue that stirred up my outrage. Like the climate crisis; record breaking global temperatures; starving children in Gaza, humanitarian crises in Africa; ongoing war in the Ukraine and a civil war in Sudan; conflicts and tensions in the Middle East; food and water shortages and a global refugee crisis.
This steady flow of conflicts and tragedies can leave us overwhelmed, depressed, pessimistic, and just plain exhausted. That’s outrage fatigue.
The Two Sides of Outrage
The downside: In addition to the individual impacts, outrage can engender hostility, partisanship, conflict, division, and polarization, especially when it occurs along the lines of group identities, e.g., race, nationality, religion, gender, class, political party. Outrage also helps the spread of misinformation, especially online (read more about that here). Repeated or constant outrage can lead to a sense of futility. Why continue to fight and resist in the face of so many injustices and outrageous events? On the other hand….
The upside: Outrage is arousing, and thus can be productive and functional, (e.g., by calling attention to injustices and things that need to change). It can thus catalyze discussion, ideas, possible solutions and intervention. It can inspire collective action and be the change agent that gets the ball rolling. As such, it can strengthen community and provide a sense of pride, satisfaction, and achievement.
And Now Some Tips on Coping with Outrage Fatigue
In his interview with Scientific American, Professor William Brady offers a few suggestions.
Act locally. Get involved in local politics or causes.
Organize in offline (vs online) spaces
Prioritize interpersonal connections
Alter social media consumption and engagement if you feel overwhelmed and bombarded
Here are others that come to my mind:
Titrate all your news consumption – print and broadcast, as well as online
Take joy where you can find it – with family, friends, a shared meal, a cup of coffee, a hot shower
Call a friend; write a letter even.
Listen to music; read a book
Take a walk and observe the beauty of nature
Exercise
Try meditation
Count your blessings and be grateful for what you have
My Bottom Line: Take care of yourself so you can keep at it. There will be many outrages in the coming months, and we will need the strength and energy to call them out and push back. Here at SciLight, we are ready to do our part.
P.S. In drafting this blog, I came across this 60 second video on moral outrage. Take a look.
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