The Evolution of Outrage - Part 2

For upwards of 200,000 years, before the invention of agriculture, human beings survived in what can only be described as the hippy’s dream.
No walls.
No fences.
No windows.
No burglar bars, alarm systems, cold food storage, preservatives, medication, or wheelchair-accessible ATM machines.
No rows upon rows of neatly packaged, pre-killed protein slabs.

Just the raw, brutal chaos of nature — things our ancestors had to fight tooth and nail for, just to make it through the night.

Back then, there was no illusion of safety. Everyone was well aware that Shiba, the one-eyed tiger, would drop by every night to check whose foot might be sticking just a little too far out of the cave. Waking up to find your neighbor’s entrails strewn across your front lawn was a genuine cause for concern.
And indeed — outrage.
Bob has been mauled again. Something must be done!

In modernity, however, we do not face the same trials and tribulations on a daily basis. We’ve steadily engineered ourselves out of natural selection’s wicked grasp and nestled ourselves inside the warm and oh-so-loving cocoon of modern society.

And yet... the urge to rage out still remains.

After millennia of outrage being vital to our survival, it is now baked into our DNA.
But what is there left to yell about?

Having a God-fearing biology teacher who starts every lesson with,
“Now remember kids, this is just a theory,”
seems to trigger the same primal threat response as a gaggle of leopards moving through camp.
Or worse — someone said a bad thing on the moving picture box.
Something must be done!

We’ve created a monster:
A world where outrage is rewarded, while solutions are ignored.

This has birthed a culture addicted to outrage purely for outrage’s sake. It’s the new tribe — one we join out of fear of being left behind. And in some twisted turn of fate, any lack of outrage on your part automatically places you among the perpetrators.

“You’re either with us, or against us.”

Patiently, I wait for the day when “us” includes all humans — not just the ones who agree with me, you, or them.

And I realize,
my bones will long be dust before that happens.

I am outraged.

Also,
Rest in Peace, Ozzy.
You will be sorely missed.

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