When is it healthy to be outraged?
harm
Who in their right mind doesn’t have compassion for anyone who finds outrage to be the only expression they have at this time in response to the wreckage of Trump?
And yet, to me, the most harmful part of Trump is not Trump, but the negative feelings we have about him. The many forms of unmanaged fear.
Getting rid of all things Trump is both important and beside the point. There will always be the unwell. Growing our resilience is imperative. Read More
Indignation is our friend, if we’re keen on bringing our best self to the party.
By indignation I mean “self-righteous condemnation fueled by anger.”
Something is wrong, and we’re pissed about it. From a fly in our soup, to the actions of others so brutal you wonder whether humankind deserves to survive.
My behavior too often suggests that I believe that indignation is necessary to convey my passionate resistance to what I find abhorrent, or undesirable, and sometimes just contrary to my whim.
I know better. I’m right there with those who say the purpose of life is to be happy and reduce the suffering of others. I know in spades that indignation is a distraction to that end. I know, I feel, I experience that it robs me of my peace of mind, abuses my body, and can lead me to spit nastiness at others. I’m a devotee of spiritual practices that help tremendously to calm my mind. And while I’m not nearly the walking hand-grenade I have been, there are moments I’ll find myself pounding the steering wheel while silently yelling at the cretin who, years ago, did that thoughtless thing I can’t quite remember but have yet to forgive. If I catch my face in the rearview mirror, I see just about the ugliest person on earth, which shuts me up quick. Read More
My Other Website
"The push to change the words “nigger” and “injun” in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, because the so-called offensive nature of those terms might limit today’s readership and appreciation of that literary classic, is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how we avoid taking responsibility for our feelings––and therefore miss the chance to become more awake, more whole, more useful friends to one another."
The Essay: The Gold in Niggers and Injuns
