Outraging – Has it become a fashion statement?

Source: http://www.maurilioamorim.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/angry.jpg

The dictionary defines outrage as a kind of emotion which is related to anger aroused by degradation of moral and societal norms. But who defines outrage? What are the causes which result in people outraging left, right and center? Most of you would say that it’s the beliefs and values people have which define what’s morally correct and morally wrong for them. But is it the only thing? Do people outrage just for the heck of it? Has outraging become a fashion statement? Let’s check it out.

The Delhi gangrape incident last year resulted in protests across the nation. Every Tom, Dick & Harry had a view about what should be done. From reforming the rapists as Rahul Bose had mentioned to chemical castration; people were frustrated, angry and ready to do their bit to save the country from such beasts. Or so it seemed. Yes, many were genuinely frustrated and angry. But to think of it, there many who were just commenting for the sake of commenting. Whether using social media or posting blog posts, during conversations over tea or making bold statements, people were outraging as if this meant so much to them.

Ask yourself. Did it really mean a lot to you? Do you really respect your sister, mother, wife, girlfriend as much as you ask for others to do? Do you really feel the pain of that victim?

The problem with us these days is that we tend to show the world something we are not. When there was no social media or news channels being beamed 24X7, our outrage was restricted just to our social circles among friends and peers. But with social networks like Twitter, Facebook providing an easy platform for people to write and say whatever they want, the world has become a much smaller place. Whether commenting about the politicians or the state of the country, people love to outrage about everything under the sun. And what most of us do? Like the status or comment on how bad things are. And when we are bored after a while, we move on to something else to outrage. And thus the cycle goes on.

With the onset of these social networks, outraging about something has a very short timespan. You can attribute it to the fact that humans have a very short term memory. And that memory is built over the happenings at any given point in time. If you keep airing news about rapes and more 24X7, people would actually feel disgusted. But then if you see that was just limited to a month or so till after the gangrape incident. Then everybody had to move on to something new and interesting to outrage on.

Simply put, outraging has become a fashion statement today. We have come far away from the time outraging was only related to your beliefs, values and virtues. Today, if you don’t outrage at Congress, you are considered corrupt. If you don’t outrage in the streets or on Twitter / FB about rapes, you are considered as someone who doesn’t care about women. If you don’t outrage about the state of the country, you are considered as someone whose not patriotic enough. No one cares about your beliefs. Its all about joining the bandwagon.

So you need to ask yourself – What are your values and beliefs? Do you actually believe in what you outrage against? Or for you all this is a big joke?