Cue the Outrage…
By Jayme Chandler
Have you noticed the constant outrage? My generation is consumed by it, they revel in it. The “social justice warriors” move from one issue to the next, more outraged by the day, and the cycle goes on and on. Since President Trump’s election, the Left seemingly spends every moment peddling a new issue to be outraged about. From Democratic politicians, to the news media, to social media activists, the same phrases and infographics are repeated and reposted over and over. A bombardment of never-ending anger, unrelenting outrage, and suffocating self-righteousness— it’s exhausting.
There’s a significant difference between outrage and activism. Activism seeks to create a better country by campaigning around a candidate, legislation, or proposition to improve America. Outrage is screaming about injustices with no proposed solutions. Outrage creates a toxic environment through virtue signaling and self-importance that does little to advance meaningful change. This outrage culture, once big enough, creates the “mob mentality”— the cultish behavior of conformity influenced by anger, rather than reason. “The mob” is the most destructive force in American life today, as they ravage our country, looking for their next villain who dares oppose them. People hide in fear and say what they need to say to survive, as my generation gathers their pitchforks and attacks people who refuse to comply. The mob makes it impossible to speak out, and that’s precisely its purpose. Dissent against the mob? Be prepared to be harassed, shamed, silenced, and canceled— it’s woke totalitarianism.
Don’t believe me? Check out the comments on our Instagram. The comment section is living proof of the hive-mind mentality and Jacobin-style justice the mob loves to perpetuate on social media. We spent days watching people we knew personally pile on the hate in an effort to cancel us, shame us, and ultimately, silence us. The inflow of hatred, slander, and vitriol perfectly encapsulates why our movement is so powerful. Our ideas and perspectives threaten the mob because we refuse to submit to their demands, which is why they spend all day attacking us. The mob proved our point better than we could have ever imagined.
I recently finished reading Congressman Dan Crenshaw’s book, Fortitude: American Resilience in the Era of Outrage. Although the book was released back in April, it could not be more relevant today. The Navy Seal adamantly condemns outrage culture and counters the harmful narrative with tales of American grit, perseverance, and fortitude. “Outrage culture is the weaponization of emotion, and the elevation of emotion above reason. It is the new normal, where moral righteousness rises in proportion to your level of outrage. The more outraged one is, the more authentic one is perceived to be. And the more authentic one is, the greater one’s moral standing. Reason, rationale, and evidence be damned.” Crenshaw argues throughout his book that outrage culture should never be celebrated, because being outraged is not a sign or strength, but a sign of misery. “Outrage is weakness. It is the muting of rational thinking and the triumph of emotion. Despite what you’ve been hearing and seeing as of late, it is not a virtue. It is not something to be celebrated, nor praised, nor aspired to.”
We live in America— the greatest country on earth, during the most prosperous era in human history. Despite what the mob wants you to believe, America is an incredible place. Don’t spend your life consumed by outrage. There are many issues we need to solve, and improvements that we need to make, but angrily posting day in and day out on Instagram does not help anyone. You can’t “stop the hate” by perpetuating hate. If you’re angry, do something about it. Volunteer your time to a charity, go support your local businesses, be kind to your neighbors. Do anything besides posting your outrage online all day. As Dan Crenshaw so brilliantly put it— “the difference between normal citizens and the abnormal outraged: One tells stories about what they’ve done, and the other tells stories about what was done to them.”
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