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Avoiding outrage fatigue while staying informed

(www.scientificamerican.com)
757 points headalgorithm | 2 comments | 05 Feb 25 14:55 UTC | HN request time: 0.431s | source
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Glyptodon ◴[05 Feb 25 20:30 UTC] No.42954673[source]▶
I don't have outrage fatigue. Outrages are outrages and they are what they are. Are there many exaggerations and fake outrages? Sure. But things like the USA's current constitutional crisis are real.

What I struggle with isn't fatigue at outrage, it's knowing what to do about it.

I think violence is going to become more common, but I don't particularly think it will be effective.

So less so than outrage, it's the feeling that we're trapped in a real life doom loop with no clear off ramp that I struggle with.

I would like to do something... But what?

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LeoPanthera ◴[05 Feb 25 20:54 UTC] No.42954975[source]▶
I decided that other people are far more organized than I am and can respond more effectively, so I'm outsourcing political action in the form of donations. I've earmarked 3% of my income every month for a list of selected charities that currently includes the ACLU, the HRC, and a short list of smaller ones.

I encourage you to do the same!

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yostrovs[dead post] ◴[05 Feb 25 23:53 UTC] No.42957108[source]▶
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kbelder ◴[06 Feb 25 05:17 UTC] No.42959335[source]▶
One of the very best things you could do for your cause is to tone down your rhetoric. You're driving far more people away than you're convincing of anything.

There's no shortage of things to criticize Trump for that are clear and hard to argue against. What you're saying is only fuel for the extreme to become more extreme.

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1. padolsey ◴[06 Feb 25 09:35 UTC] No.42960688[source]▶
I'm personally ok with such rhetoric when the stakes are high (I am losing hope that "talking nicely/sweetly" to people is _actually_ beneficial, on net), though I think yeh the parent comment could do with more material insight.
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2. freedomben ◴[06 Feb 25 18:34 UTC] No.42965134[source]▶
I think you're missing the GP's point. It's when the stakes are high that the rhetoric being reasonable is even more important, thus you should care more during those times. If you disagree with them that's ok, but your comment just reads like you're trying to explain why it's ok instead of engaging on the GP comment.