Oh, I really appreciate this one. I would have to say love, too, although even though I believe in the power of love, and it’s a theme that keeps coming back to me again again lately on Substack, the logical academic part of my brain wants to know how sitting at home reading a good book is going to change the world! 🤪 And yet I also believe that the inner work does have an outer resonance! No easy answers here, but you’ve asked a lot of good questions. Appreciate all the resources you listed too, will go check them out!
Yes Michelle, I agree opting out as Ford suggests is not the answer. As you point out, though, there is an element of self-grounding there that is valuable. I think the thing I dislike most about his suggestion is a kind of dissolution of agency, particularly if you are making this suggestion to young people. I think it also diminishes the actual reality of how messed up some things actually are. Hence we are left with our big beautiful question! How, practically speaking can love bring about social change? I am going to be exploring this for a while, it’ll be interesting to see where we end up!
I completely agree! I just got back from a conference that left me feeling hopeful and motivated. It was because the speakers discussed nuanced issues where they recognized what has gotten better, what has gotten worse, and what are solutions we know work. It was inspiring. They even talked about how righteous anger has led to policy/programs that make things worse. There was only one person who relied on outrage and he was, unsurprisingly, a politician. He even recommended some of the very policies we had just discussed as harmful. Your post and this conference is inspiring me to further avoid outrage in my media and my writing.
Oh that sounds so cool! Do you know if the speakers’ content will be available online anywhere? I’m so glad you are feeling inspired! I think I am coming around to believing that positive change is going to happen through love, creativity, community and joy. Fear and anger have not moved the needle far enough. Thank you for being here!
Unfortunately, it does not appear any of it is available online. It was a conference about "envisioning a world without child sexual abuse." You wouldn't think that'd be a hopeful subject but I left feeling that the problem has gotten better and that we know ways to continue to improve. I'm planning to write a post about the conference, hopefully this month.
One of the speakers discussed the Australian Child Maltreatment study, which has its own website. Looking through the website, it does have the same hopeful message that the speaker had. There is a focus on how bad the problem is and not on the measures showing how things have improved. Which of course it is a major problem, but it's interesting seeing the differences in how the same information gets framed.
Thank you for that, the thing that strikes me from your description is the power of the audacity of the imagination. If we don’t imagine it, then we are going to be unable to take steps to make it real! Thank you for the link. xo
Excellent points and I particularly liked you including this line “The expression of outrage is no longer a form of effective political protest; instead, it is an aesthetically debased form of entertainment.” Which then poises the question of what we do to bring on the evolution we so desperately need in our world ? 🙏🏻
Yes - that is the most interesting question for me too. My gut says it has to do with responding from love but I don’t know if there are many examples to follow - I will be pulling this thread for a while so it will be interesting to see what I find. I think it is related to the idea of fight - when we fight something it always brings an opposing reaction. xo
I love that you are a fellow exploring on some of these big themes…
I agree about fight, yet it’s in our language and our souls to fight back against tyranny.
How we do that is a continual question. As is does non violence actually work ?
History would like us to think so, but there are counter arguments that was not strictly true. Personally I believe in setting up alternative systems , so we can ignore the abusive ones. 💗
Oh yes! I felt that when I was involved with Extinction Rebellion: outrage inflation. People are getting used to the protests and arrests that follow. I think you right: love and empathy never gets old. As well as humor.
“outrage inflation” that is a powerful term, I love it! and yes, yes, yes to humour - I think Ross Gay said “Laughter is the virus that infects us with humanity” xo
This was so informative! In a way I feel it's kinda awesome that outrage is becoming vanilla. Once humans get bored with something they look for something new to taste. Hopefully love will be the new flavour - sprinkled with a health measure of momentary wisdom.
Thanks Sue, that is the tricky part of SM isn’t it? That we individually are having to take personal responsibility for our own management of it, companies, rather than try and help make it a force for good, keep laying booby traps for us all. Sigh…
What a thoughtful and informative piece! I am in similar spaces with my thoughts on media consumption, social media, and how to navigate a life in an increasingly, bafflingly on fire world, so there is a lot here that I can relate to!
“It feels weirdly wrong not to express outrage at things you find truly outrageous.” So true. The OIC is a new term to me (thank you!), but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about performative outrage and the way it obscures any semblance of what truly merits outrage. 🙄
Oh, which I guess is exactly what those in power want, all of us screaming inanely at each other in an internet bubble and not really changing the status quo!
Oh, I really appreciate this one. I would have to say love, too, although even though I believe in the power of love, and it’s a theme that keeps coming back to me again again lately on Substack, the logical academic part of my brain wants to know how sitting at home reading a good book is going to change the world! 🤪 And yet I also believe that the inner work does have an outer resonance! No easy answers here, but you’ve asked a lot of good questions. Appreciate all the resources you listed too, will go check them out!
Yes Michelle, I agree opting out as Ford suggests is not the answer. As you point out, though, there is an element of self-grounding there that is valuable. I think the thing I dislike most about his suggestion is a kind of dissolution of agency, particularly if you are making this suggestion to young people. I think it also diminishes the actual reality of how messed up some things actually are. Hence we are left with our big beautiful question! How, practically speaking can love bring about social change? I am going to be exploring this for a while, it’ll be interesting to see where we end up!
Let me know!
I completely agree! I just got back from a conference that left me feeling hopeful and motivated. It was because the speakers discussed nuanced issues where they recognized what has gotten better, what has gotten worse, and what are solutions we know work. It was inspiring. They even talked about how righteous anger has led to policy/programs that make things worse. There was only one person who relied on outrage and he was, unsurprisingly, a politician. He even recommended some of the very policies we had just discussed as harmful. Your post and this conference is inspiring me to further avoid outrage in my media and my writing.
Oh that sounds so cool! Do you know if the speakers’ content will be available online anywhere? I’m so glad you are feeling inspired! I think I am coming around to believing that positive change is going to happen through love, creativity, community and joy. Fear and anger have not moved the needle far enough. Thank you for being here!
Unfortunately, it does not appear any of it is available online. It was a conference about "envisioning a world without child sexual abuse." You wouldn't think that'd be a hopeful subject but I left feeling that the problem has gotten better and that we know ways to continue to improve. I'm planning to write a post about the conference, hopefully this month.
One of the speakers discussed the Australian Child Maltreatment study, which has its own website. Looking through the website, it does have the same hopeful message that the speaker had. There is a focus on how bad the problem is and not on the measures showing how things have improved. Which of course it is a major problem, but it's interesting seeing the differences in how the same information gets framed.
https://www.acms.au/
Thank you for that, the thing that strikes me from your description is the power of the audacity of the imagination. If we don’t imagine it, then we are going to be unable to take steps to make it real! Thank you for the link. xo
Excellent points and I particularly liked you including this line “The expression of outrage is no longer a form of effective political protest; instead, it is an aesthetically debased form of entertainment.” Which then poises the question of what we do to bring on the evolution we so desperately need in our world ? 🙏🏻
Yes - that is the most interesting question for me too. My gut says it has to do with responding from love but I don’t know if there are many examples to follow - I will be pulling this thread for a while so it will be interesting to see what I find. I think it is related to the idea of fight - when we fight something it always brings an opposing reaction. xo
I love that you are a fellow exploring on some of these big themes…
I agree about fight, yet it’s in our language and our souls to fight back against tyranny.
How we do that is a continual question. As is does non violence actually work ?
History would like us to think so, but there are counter arguments that was not strictly true. Personally I believe in setting up alternative systems , so we can ignore the abusive ones. 💗
I like that! Just get on with the doing and have lots of fun - drawing people in that way.
Oh yes! I felt that when I was involved with Extinction Rebellion: outrage inflation. People are getting used to the protests and arrests that follow. I think you right: love and empathy never gets old. As well as humor.
“outrage inflation” that is a powerful term, I love it! and yes, yes, yes to humour - I think Ross Gay said “Laughter is the virus that infects us with humanity” xo
Love is the only way!
Oh, and good cake ;)
Definitely 👍
This was so informative! In a way I feel it's kinda awesome that outrage is becoming vanilla. Once humans get bored with something they look for something new to taste. Hopefully love will be the new flavour - sprinkled with a health measure of momentary wisdom.
Oh, I love that framing, it makes me hopeful this is a moment/pattern in time we can pass beyond. xo
Thank you, Gillian. This post is a glimmer for me today. I love the reminders about social media and its hidden traps.
Thanks Sue, that is the tricky part of SM isn’t it? That we individually are having to take personal responsibility for our own management of it, companies, rather than try and help make it a force for good, keep laying booby traps for us all. Sigh…
Thanks so much for mentioning my post Gillian! That means so much to me. 🧡
What a thoughtful and informative piece! I am in similar spaces with my thoughts on media consumption, social media, and how to navigate a life in an increasingly, bafflingly on fire world, so there is a lot here that I can relate to!
“It feels weirdly wrong not to express outrage at things you find truly outrageous.” So true. The OIC is a new term to me (thank you!), but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about performative outrage and the way it obscures any semblance of what truly merits outrage. 🙄
Oh, which I guess is exactly what those in power want, all of us screaming inanely at each other in an internet bubble and not really changing the status quo!
So true, now if only we can stop running with gleeful abandon into their trap 🙄
Yes, that is a great term - performative outrage, in many cases that is easier than actually taking some real action, hence the appeal.