What’s pissing you off right now? Trump’s cabinet picks? Russian interference in our recent elections? Boeing’s $16.6B deal with Iran?
Is your ability to be “outraged” just about maxed out? Has “outrage” become the new “jaw-dropping”?
Maybe we should take a closer look at whoever it is promoting these outrage-provoking stories. Who, after all, stands to profit by them?
Why are certain “outrageous” things given more prominence than others? How are some election campaigns, run on the fuel of outrage, lost, and others, won?
What are the results of our outrage? Are we emboldened to take action, or are we worn down and made indifferent?
My suggestion with this post is that we question the sources of the stories that provoke our outrage. Consider the source, and consider what the source has to gain.
Are they seeking your mouse clicks? Your signature on a petition? Your contribution? Are these things actually having an effect on the object of our outrage, or do they just make us feel that we’ve done something?
We had all better get a little wiser about this, or we will continue to be punching bags for the architects of outrage, rebounding predictably for the next hit.