I sometimes ask myself whether the act of condemning (and other variations of being outraged and indignant) in some important ways are the very thing that prevents us (all of us, not just "them") from taking concrete actions.
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RE: https://mastodon.social/@euobserver/116613886446442397
I sometimes ask myself whether the act of condemning (and other variations of being outraged and indignant) in some important ways are the very thing that prevents us (all of us, not just "them") from taking concrete actions.
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RE: https://mastodon.social/@euobserver/116613886446442397
I sometimes ask myself whether the act of condemning (and other variations of being outraged and indignant) in some important ways are the very thing that prevents us (all of us, not just "them") from taking concrete actions.
At the heart of condemnation and indignation is a form of unacknowledged powerlessness, I think. It regularly comes up in me when I read outrage on social media. How difficult it seems to do something effective with the available energy - being furious and terrified about the genocide. Taking action beyond expressing indignation will inevitably put you in conflict with the status quo. And a potentially more consequential conflict than the conflicts we have when we exchange our outrage.
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At the heart of condemnation and indignation is a form of unacknowledged powerlessness, I think. It regularly comes up in me when I read outrage on social media. How difficult it seems to do something effective with the available energy - being furious and terrified about the genocide. Taking action beyond expressing indignation will inevitably put you in conflict with the status quo. And a potentially more consequential conflict than the conflicts we have when we exchange our outrage.
I'm putting this out there as a dilemma I still struggle with. How we react to seeing that the world is not okay. Global warming continues to raise that question in my mind and the genocide in Palestine raises it in an acute way. The heart of the matter for me is the need for change. And how we in all kinds of ways experience ourselves as powerless to make it - and sometimes reinforce that powerlessness through expressions that on the surface seem "strong" and "powerful", like condemnations.
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I'm putting this out there as a dilemma I still struggle with. How we react to seeing that the world is not okay. Global warming continues to raise that question in my mind and the genocide in Palestine raises it in an acute way. The heart of the matter for me is the need for change. And how we in all kinds of ways experience ourselves as powerless to make it - and sometimes reinforce that powerlessness through expressions that on the surface seem "strong" and "powerful", like condemnations.
@malte interesting point.
Im some ways voting and angry SoMe points can be seen as the same. Distractions that makes us passive.
But it could all so me compared to demonstrations. That in some ways all so are distractions that can give a excuse for not reacting in other ways. But all so give a sense of unity and not beeing alone in insane world.
For me I think both thing are in play when I write angry political SoMe posts.
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@malte interesting point.
Im some ways voting and angry SoMe points can be seen as the same. Distractions that makes us passive.
But it could all so me compared to demonstrations. That in some ways all so are distractions that can give a excuse for not reacting in other ways. But all so give a sense of unity and not beeing alone in insane world.
For me I think both thing are in play when I write angry political SoMe posts.
@siggi Yes, that's true. Part of us are also longing for community - finding others who feel like us - when we complain, condemn and express indignation. And the curious thing is that complaining is highly contagious. It can spread! What I don't like about that is that the powerlessness also gets reinforced. It pulls us down and that's a community I'd rather not be part of. I'm happy you bring in demonstrations, as that is very much on my mind too.
