Perseverance, Outrage, Drama Queens, and Success

Have you noticed the consistent use of the word "outrage" in the media?

It seems that, regardless of the gravity of the situation, someone feels compelled to use the word "outrage", even when their body language and tone of voice are matter-of-fact. Perhaps it has been discovered that "outrage" is a media-friendly word that can elevate one to victim status; and victim status will then lead to some sort of reward by a convoluted notion of automatic victim entitlement.

The facts of life show otherwise.

Perseverance and Success

Back in the days of the great western cattle ranches, a little burro would be harnessed to a wild horse. Bucking and raging, the two would be set loose onto the desert. You could see them disappear over the horizon, that strong steed dragging the little burro along and tossing him around like blended carrots in a Veg-O-Matic commercial. Even though they would be gone for days, eventually they would return. Amazingly, that little burro would be seen first, trotting across the horizon with the now-submissive horse in tow. Somewhere out there the strong, wild horse became exhausted from trying to get rid of the burro. In that moment, the burro took mastery and became the leader.

Our struggles in life and in business life go to the determined, not to the outraged; to the committed, not to those who are merely dramatic.

Let's find a way to live this out in our own lives today.

Comments

[Chris Witt]

Steve,

A number of years ago I was brought in to coach the executive director of an advocacy group who was filming a short TV spot. His handler -- PR agent? political advisor? media consultant? -- had written the piece. It was about some non-issue, but it ended with my client saying, "I'm outraged and you should be too."

The guy wasn't what you'd call dynamic. His handler kept trying to make him sound outraged -- to no effect. Finally, the handler glared at me and said, "Can't you do something?"

I pulled my client aside and asked him, "How outraged are you about this issue?" He didn't get my point, so I said, "On a scale of 1 to 10 -- 10 being angry to the nth degree, 1 being mildly bothered -- this issue rates a 2 or 3 on my scale. Where does it rate on yours?" He said he'd give it about the same rating.

We revised the script to, "This is wrong and we should do something about it." Admittedly, it's a weaker statement. Outrage, as you point out, sounds so much more dramatic and media-friendly. But I think it's overused. How often can we be outraged? And what word can we use when something more egregious happens?

I'm also concerned that expressing our outrage lets us off the hook. We've done something, haven't we? We've expressed our outrage. You're not expecting us to do something to correct the situation, are you?

Chris

[peter vajda]

Expressions of outrage, like expressions of anger, are often evoked as "hoping" the issue or problem will go away to one's benefit. (Not unlike expressions of "worry" which are often conscious or unconscious "hopes" that a solution will magically appear.) In both instances, action is often absent and the result is that the issue remains...garnering greater outrage, anger and/or worry.

Too, IMHO, outrage is often an attempt to create "drama" - believing that hyperbole will somehow elevate a lesser issue or non-issue to the level of a "chiken little" state of frenzy - the downside being that as the level of emotionality (outrage)escalates, the limbic brain kicks in, reactivity kicks in and the logical, executive, thinking frontal cortex of the brain is left out of the equation.

No wonder it's hard to rationalize with the person expressing the outrage....(see Washington, D.C, or Wall Street, for example, where drama, rather than enlightened and measured discourse and dialogue, is the method-du-jour of dealing with our social, economic and cultural ills. Today, outrage also seems to be the sole, acceptable reaction of the ideologically-driven, as opposed to a more tempered exchange of perspectives or positions.

Rumi said, "Out beyond right-doing and wrong-doing, there is a field; I'll meet you there." A place the outraged fear to enter.

[Wally Bock]

Absolutely stellar piece!

[Lynn M]

Henry: "Why did you wait days to come out and express that outrage? It seems like the action is coming out of New York and the Attorney General's office. It took you days to come public with Secretary Geithner and say look we're outraged. Why did it...."

Obama: "Look it took us a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak. Alright?"

I think Obama made a great point here. Think before you speak or express "outrage."

[Steve Roesler]

Chris,

Wonderful real-life example that gets to the heart of the issue. Thank you for taking the time to lay it out for all to see. Those scenarios are repeated over and over again and--having coached political candidates--especially at election time.

I especially am moved by your insight that "outrage" serves as a substitute for actually having done something. Terrific.

[Steve Roesler]

Wally, much appreciated.

[Andy Blumberg]

Excellent piece--couldn't agree more. Thanks for sharing it!