Rage or Outrage?
ANSHUL CHATURVEDI
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Confucius advised, “When anger arises, think of the consequences“, and much the same has been retold in different words. The problem is that when we get enraged, we rarely think, we just react. Acting in anger can be injurious not only to health but might impact others adversely as well.However, the presumption that anger necessarily is something to be apologetic about needs to be questioned. While power often corrupts, the absence of power is not necessarily a purifying factor by itself.Equally , anger per se is not welcome, and rage -depending on how it is manifested -may be counterproductive.
But a complete inability to get angry at anything is not necessarily a sign of having attained nirvana; it often is a sign of nothing more profound than being passive or disinterested.It is nearly impossible to remain unaffected by what goes on around you. Is it really advisable then to remain indifferent?
Sometimes, it is our sense of outrage that reveals to us what really matters to us.
The concept of battling injustice revolves around the presumption that we are driven to outrage at what is not fair. If we are not upset with things going wrong, what will impel us to set them right? “How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it?“ asked Marcus Aurelius. But, equally, there could be grievous consequences of not getting angry , as well. Let's keep our cool when nothing more than our ego is at stake, but let's not forget to get outraged at injustice.
But a complete inability to get angry at anything is not necessarily a sign of having attained nirvana; it often is a sign of nothing more profound than being passive or disinterested.It is nearly impossible to remain unaffected by what goes on around you. Is it really advisable then to remain indifferent?
Sometimes, it is our sense of outrage that reveals to us what really matters to us.
The concept of battling injustice revolves around the presumption that we are driven to outrage at what is not fair. If we are not upset with things going wrong, what will impel us to set them right? “How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it?“ asked Marcus Aurelius. But, equally, there could be grievous consequences of not getting angry , as well. Let's keep our cool when nothing more than our ego is at stake, but let's not forget to get outraged at injustice.
