I am not entirely convinced that people today are any angrier than previous generations. Human beings have always had plenty to be cross about. Wars, poverty, disease and the daily struggle simply to survive have occupied our ancestors for centuries. Compared with many who came before us, much of today’s population lives a relatively comfortable and secure existence.
Perhaps that is precisely the problem.
Previous generations often had more pressing concerns than venting their frustrations. They were too busy trying to make ends meet and keep body and soul together. Today’s relatively cosy society seems to have far more time and energy to devote to displaying its annoyance with the world. Which may explain why so much modern outrage feels excessive and, at times, entirely unnecessary.
Nowhere is this more apparent than on social media. Even the most innocent comments seem capable of provoking a torrent of indignation. A recent local Facebook post, for example, simply appealed for help for a homeless man who had fallen on hard times. Yet many of the responses immediately questioned the authenticity of the story. Some preferred to assume that the unfortunate chap was merely lazy and therefore undeserving of compassion, warmth or assistance. It was remarkable how quickly kindness gave way to suspicion.
Mind you, perhaps I should be careful before climbing too far onto my moral high horse.
Mrs. B insists that I am an angry man. According to her, hardly a day passes without me shouting at the BBC News in apparent outrage at whatever fresh madness is unfolding. I have to admit that when Trump, Putin or Starmer appear on screen, she may have a point. I have always had a profound dislike of injustice, unfairness, inequality and plain stupidity in whatever form they present themselves.
What puzzles me is that, at my age, anger feels like a terrible waste of precious time and energy. Life is too short to spend it permanently furious. So why do I still do it?
Perhaps because some things are genuinely worth getting worked up about.
If we feel nothing in the face of injustice or cruelty, perhaps that says something rather worrying about us. But equally, if we are permanently outraged by every passing irritation and every careless remark, that too reveals something about our character.
The difficulty, as with so much in life, is knowing where the line lies between righteous indignation and pointless rage.
I am still trying to work out on which side of that line I currently reside. Judging by Mrs. B’s observations from the other side of the sofa, I suspect the answer may not be entirely flattering.
Why are so many people angry?
Of course, we can ask the same question a second way; why are so few people happy? We are unhappy as a society, regardless of nation or race and it seems to be getting worse.
Despite all the immigration nonsense, it’s a question of economics. One economist described the United States as having a third-world economy with flat screen TVs. Millions live from check to check, hoping they don’t get sick or have car trouble. The stress of a life not lived so much, as survived.
And when they turn on their flat screens, what do they see? A trillionaire being feted by a President. People with so much money, they couldn’t count it, let alone spend it. We live in an age of shocking, immoral wealth inequality.
It’s bad in other parts of the world, but I think the Americans may well have it the worst. Many across the US are slowly slipping beneath the icy water because of inflation. Recently, its hovered around three and a half per cent, sometimes a little more. Despite the gnashing of teeth, that’s not a high number in a mature economy.
The politicians are happy to talk about inflation because then they don’t have to address the real problem; the rich ate the country. They pay little in taxes and demand fat government contracts.
The answer to the problem: Take a page from Russia’s playbook and get control over the news outlets. Don’t fix what’s wrong, just serve another helping of cake. Lie, blame others (in this case immigrants), fire any watchdog bureaucrats, and make sure folks only hear a curated truth from their trusted news providers.
For several decades the formula worked. The billionaire Murdoch family manipulated the most vocal portion of society by blaming the only institution with enough power to bring the billionaires to heel: the government. That’s no longer necessary – the rich have simply purchased the US Government.
I now have a new sense of optimism. The majority of the population is becoming aware of the danger these men pose. Credit is due to Donald. He’s so outrageous that even some of his supporters are starting to see the wild corruption. His childish antics have awakened the population and they no longer have faith in what their flat screens are telling them. I now believe Mr. Orwell’s cautionary tale will not come to pass.
Why are so many people angry?
I think much of the answer lies in genetics. Our emotional background and reactions depend very much on hormone levels, up to 50%, according to Alexey Sitnikov, one of Russia’s leading psychophysiologists. I was his student back in my Moscow State University days. He is a brilliant professional.
The other 40% is our attitude toward what happens in the outer world, like people and events. Finally, only 10% of our emotional situation is defined by actual things happening around us.
This means, that in many ways we are greatly responsible for our emotional stability, including bursts of anger. Being a pessimist or an optimist is just about it.
For instance, until sometime ago, many drivers in Russia, even in Moscow, behaved rather awfully, letting their bad mood affect their driving. Now things have gotten much better. Now, some weird or rude driver is an exception on the roads.
Personally, I would like to be more positive and optimistic than I am. On the other hand, as life goes by, I start to look at things easier and not to bring myself down with every problem I have. The key here is: would going mad change matters? Absolutely not! It may even get things worse. So, I’ve always known it, theoretically. Now, I sometimes feel that I can better control myself and handle stress. Well, not 100%, but better than I used to before.
Anyway, people who can’t control themselves are letting their lives split away. Some of them understand it and try to manage it. In the worst-case scenario, an individual doesn’t understand what the problem is. And that can get other people mad!