The left is outraged over Trump’s fiery political speech that they say is to blame for the bombs recently mailed to his political enemies.
The right is outraged over the left blaming Trump for a toxic political environment that has existed for years while ignoring his accomplishments.
Perhaps we just enjoy being outraged.
![](https://thefounderstavern.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/outraged.jpg?w=300&h=189)
That’s what Glen Beck thinks. In his recent and surprisingly nonpartisan book, “Addicted to Outrage,” Beck, a recovering alcoholic, says our current love for outrage is an addiction and suggests a path for our recovery.
So what’s fueling this addiction?
We are lonely. Almost 20 years ago, Robert Putman published “Bowling Alone,” a groundbreaking book warning us that technology (then TV and the Internet) was causing us to meet fewer people, gather less and form less meaningful bonds. Today, thanks to social media technologies that didn’t even exist when he wrote his book, researchers say the problem has increased exponentially. Church attendance continues to drop and service organizations such as the Lions, Optimists, and Rotary have lost 20-70 percent of their members. Yet in our hyper-connected loneliness, we still crave a cause –something to fight for – something to replace what religion and philanthropy used to provide.
It is in our genes to take sides. Jonathan Haidt, renowned moral phycologist and speaker explains that it’s natural for humans to form tribes. It is a survival instinct. To make tribes work we also developed instincts to care for each other, an instinct for fairness, loyalty to our group, respect for leadership and respect for group purity. These instincts, while great for survival in the wild, can get in the way of cooperation in a modern society.
Controversy sells. Business research confirms that controversy increases interest in a product. However, just like with any addiction, after a while, we need a stronger dose to fill the need. Modern 24-hour media is more than happy to meet the increasing demand.
Negative campaigning works. A recent marketing study confirms that not only does negative political advertising work but also that the first candidate to go negative will usually win in the battle of slime – and politicians read the research.
You know you’re addicted when:
Good and bad results are judged by whose tribe did it. If the results are bad, it is the fault of the opposition. If the results are good, it is a leftover benefit from when your tribe was in power.
Agreeing with the enemy becomes heresy. If a member of the tribe considers any opposing view, they are a traitor. If a member of another tribe adopts your tribe’s point of view, they are flip-flopping to gain political advantage.
Other tribes are stupid and they are purposely destroying the nation. They hate everything except violence against you and your tribe.
We are obviously right, but the other side is too stupid to see it.
Since we are right, the ends justify the means. Therefore, the rules of civility and justice don’t matter.
Recovery from our addiction to outrage will be slow and difficult. It begins only when we recognize our problem and actually act to fix it.
Research shows that butting heads seldom convinces anyone and generally only hardens each in their own position. Instead, experts say, effective discussions start by finding common ground and expanding from there.
Lee Colan, a leadership consultant for many of the top businesses and organizations in the country suggests we T.H.I.N.K. before speaking to keep conversations positive.
“T” is for truth. Is what we say true – are we sure?
“H” is for helpful. Is what we are about to say helpful or just aimed at scoring on the opposition?
“I” is for inspiring. Does what we say inspire the discussion?
“N” is for necessary. J Golden Kimble, one of my heroes and religious leaders used to say we should always say what we think. However, he would add, sometimes we think things we shouldn’t say!
“K” is for Kind. Karl G. Maeser, one of the founders of the academy that would later become BYU instructed his students, “Always be yourself, but always be your better self.”
We need to find in our better selves a way to respect the opposition, even when they call us vile names and disparage our motives. If we can’t do that, perhaps we can respect ourselves enough to not join them in the gutter.
Here is an idea from the left I really like: “Make America Dinner Again.” This group organizes dinners that bring opposing parties literally to the table. They believe you can’t sit down to dinner with someone, discuss your differences in a reasonable way, and still think of them as monsters afterward.
When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he knew we were not ready to live up to its standards. Yet he wrote it, and even today, we strive to make it a reality. Perhaps the same is true for solving our addiction to outrage. Perhaps one dinner at a time, one column at a time, or one comment at a time, we can narrow the divide between us.
![](https://thefounderstavern.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/dsc_3849.jpg?w=150&h=99)
Addicted to Outrage
November 3, 2018 by Hugh
The left is outraged over Trump’s fiery political speech that they say is to blame for the bombs recently mailed to his political enemies.
The right is outraged over the left blaming Trump for a toxic political environment that has existed for years while ignoring his accomplishments.
Perhaps we just enjoy being outraged.
That’s what Glen Beck thinks. In his recent and surprisingly nonpartisan book, “Addicted to Outrage,” Beck, a recovering alcoholic, says our current love for outrage is an addiction and suggests a path for our recovery.
So what’s fueling this addiction?
We are lonely. Almost 20 years ago, Robert Putman published “Bowling Alone,” a groundbreaking book warning us that technology (then TV and the Internet) was causing us to meet fewer people, gather less and form less meaningful bonds. Today, thanks to social media technologies that didn’t even exist when he wrote his book, researchers say the problem has increased exponentially. Church attendance continues to drop and service organizations such as the Lions, Optimists, and Rotary have lost 20-70 percent of their members. Yet in our hyper-connected loneliness, we still crave a cause –something to fight for – something to replace what religion and philanthropy used to provide.
It is in our genes to take sides. Jonathan Haidt, renowned moral phycologist and speaker explains that it’s natural for humans to form tribes. It is a survival instinct. To make tribes work we also developed instincts to care for each other, an instinct for fairness, loyalty to our group, respect for leadership and respect for group purity. These instincts, while great for survival in the wild, can get in the way of cooperation in a modern society.
Controversy sells. Business research confirms that controversy increases interest in a product. However, just like with any addiction, after a while, we need a stronger dose to fill the need. Modern 24-hour media is more than happy to meet the increasing demand.
Negative campaigning works. A recent marketing study confirms that not only does negative political advertising work but also that the first candidate to go negative will usually win in the battle of slime – and politicians read the research.
You know you’re addicted when:
Good and bad results are judged by whose tribe did it. If the results are bad, it is the fault of the opposition. If the results are good, it is a leftover benefit from when your tribe was in power.
Agreeing with the enemy becomes heresy. If a member of the tribe considers any opposing view, they are a traitor. If a member of another tribe adopts your tribe’s point of view, they are flip-flopping to gain political advantage.
Other tribes are stupid and they are purposely destroying the nation. They hate everything except violence against you and your tribe.
We are obviously right, but the other side is too stupid to see it.
Since we are right, the ends justify the means. Therefore, the rules of civility and justice don’t matter.
Recovery from our addiction to outrage will be slow and difficult. It begins only when we recognize our problem and actually act to fix it.
Research shows that butting heads seldom convinces anyone and generally only hardens each in their own position. Instead, experts say, effective discussions start by finding common ground and expanding from there.
Lee Colan, a leadership consultant for many of the top businesses and organizations in the country suggests we T.H.I.N.K. before speaking to keep conversations positive.
“T” is for truth. Is what we say true – are we sure?
“H” is for helpful. Is what we are about to say helpful or just aimed at scoring on the opposition?
“I” is for inspiring. Does what we say inspire the discussion?
“N” is for necessary. J Golden Kimble, one of my heroes and religious leaders used to say we should always say what we think. However, he would add, sometimes we think things we shouldn’t say!
“K” is for Kind. Karl G. Maeser, one of the founders of the academy that would later become BYU instructed his students, “Always be yourself, but always be your better self.”
We need to find in our better selves a way to respect the opposition, even when they call us vile names and disparage our motives. If we can’t do that, perhaps we can respect ourselves enough to not join them in the gutter.
Here is an idea from the left I really like: “Make America Dinner Again.” This group organizes dinners that bring opposing parties literally to the table. They believe you can’t sit down to dinner with someone, discuss your differences in a reasonable way, and still think of them as monsters afterward.
When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he knew we were not ready to live up to its standards. Yet he wrote it, and even today, we strive to make it a reality. Perhaps the same is true for solving our addiction to outrage. Perhaps one dinner at a time, one column at a time, or one comment at a time, we can narrow the divide between us.
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