Franklin D. Roosevelt asserted that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Today we hear messages from every corner insisting that we should be outraged or scared. Traditional media uses fear and outrage to gain attention and develop a loyal following. Podcasters rant about how we should be outraged by the actions of those they disagree with, because they know it makes their message more likely to be shared. The echo chambers of social media use outrage to get clicks and likes. Political candidates use fear and outrage to motivate people to vote against their opponents and gain power for themselves.
Fear and anger are powerful motivators. Fear taps into our innate instincts for survival, and can trigger a fight of flight response that results in action. Anger produces feelings of strength, control and righteousness that can motivate people to take action or push for a change. In the presence of real danger, these reactions can help us avoid harm. These emotions can also be used to coerce and manipulate others into taking a certain action, by creating a perceived threat. Taken to the extreme, fear and outrage can be used to convince people that “the end justifies the means,” resulting in acts of terrorism or mob violence.
In our polarized society, we are in a back and forth cycle where the outrage and fear are being ratcheted up. Democrats compare Trump to Hitler and Mussolini, claiming he is a threat to democracy. Republicans compare Joe Biden to Marx, claiming he is destroying our country, along with our freedom and security. In attempts to motivate people through fear and outrage, each side produces mis-statements, exaggerations, and errors that are seized upon by the other side which does the same. The cycle feeds on itself…but we have the power to break the cycle. Living in a constant state of fear and outrage is not good for our mental health, and may drive us to do things we would not otherwise choose.
The first thing we can do to end the cycle of fear and outrage is to avoid being manipulated by those that seek to employ these emotions for their own gain. When what we are hearing or reading is making us angry or fearful, consider whether facts are being exaggerated or twisted. When we hear outrageous things reverberating in echo chambers, they can seem like they are true because we hear them from multiple sources…but look to see if there is real evidence.
The second thing we can do is focus on opportunities for success instead of basing our actions on fear and outrage. Have a positive outlook about what we can accomplish together, instead of a negative outlook about what others may be trying to achieve. When things are presented as zero sum, or “us” against “them,” think about whether there is a solution that increases the overall benefits for everyone.
The third thing we can do is to avoid using fear and outrage as motivators ourselves. When making an argument, it is quite natural and tempting, because deep down we know that it works. In my post about Money in Politics, my first draft talked about how Dark Money is “scary” and had a headline about how Big Money is “stealing” our voice…but I realized that language could be counter to my overall goal of bringing people together and reducing polarization. We should present the whole truth, and not cherry pick the facts or omit context to make things seem worse than they are.
For all the talk about the perilous state of our nation, you’d think the next election is really just a choice about which way we’d prefer to be destroyed. This country has survived the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the Cold War…and I am confident it will survive well into the future. It is up to us to make this a place where we not only survive, but thrive. We need to avoid tearing each other down, and work together to face our challenges in a way that builds our nation up. Franklin Roosevelt called on Americans to shed their fear and take positive action…we need to do so once again.
Further resources:
We Can Be Better 
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