cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23716018
Outrage Fatigue Is Real. Here’s Why We Feel It and How to Cope
Repeated exposure to outrage-inducing news or events can lead to emotional exhaustion. An expert who studies online outrage says there are ways to cope
You’re probably feeling it: the onslaught of depressing news and commentary about political actions, wars, climate disasters and more. The first few times you’re exposed to a perceived injustice, you feel fired up and ready to fight against it. But after being repeatedly facing this moral assault, you start to feel fatigued, even withdrawn. Resistance feels futile.
This phenomenon is informally referred to as “outrage fatigue.”
Rage does something to your brain and body people don’t really recognize. It motivates you in the moment but it doesn’t give you stamina, and it clouds judgement. It’s important to be both calm and decisive about the world and what’s going on in it if we want to fix it.
So the trick is to use it to your advantage when it happens, not to live in a constant state of rage. Rage is exhausting. If you can’t calm down and maintain focus, rage is not your friend and you should find a different motivator.