I'd be curious if one of the unspoken goals is to make people outraged enough by the donation to make donations to smaller institutions. Wishful thinking?
Actually -- and I really hesitate to mention this, but it seems sufficiently intellectually interesting -- has anyone noticed that after the last election cycle, outrage has ceased to matter altogether? United Airlines stock price is up 12% despite their behavior, for example.
I'm not sure outrage has ever mattered much, but internet outrage in particular has gone from "effective when focused" to "this is a normal day." The rise of justice-porn subreddits has fueled this obsession. Everyone has a grudge. In fact, they have multiple grudges categorized by computers and aimed at faceless, nameless ideas.
I'm reminded of 1984. It's so cliche, but remember the "daily hate"? When did we all start falling for this 24/7 outrage cycle?
It's made all the more dangerous by the fact that in nearly all of these cases, the outrage is deserved. In fact, that's what makes it work at all. Everyone's feelings are valid, and the grudges are justified. But what kind of world is it when your grudges are handed to you? Aren't grudges supposed to be personal? I'd rather not have them at all, but a personal grudge is at least better than being told what to think.
Ironically I think this comes from more awareness. I don't think people were aware of how many problems there were in the world. Now anyone with the internet can get informed on hundreds, most with no solution, a solution that is blocked from being implemented, or one so complex that no one can agree on said solution.
This article has a clear slant, but I think it has some serious merit for health, awareness, and activism. Excuse the absolutely horrid title as well.
That's not awareness - awareness, aka mindfulness, is quite a neutral state. I'd define it as recognising things for how they are.
What going on is more like the opposite - not accepting reality; instead trying to fit the facts into an inconsistent (and hence imaginary) worldview. This causes cognitive dissonance which leads to frustration. Outrage is one way people cope with that frustration.
1. I would be careful to paint with that broad of a brush.
2. Awareness can most certainly lead directly to frustration.
Some of it could be that, but there are plenty of issues where they are mostly independent of worldview. The frustration comes from the solution that is not yet known or cannot be implemented. Have that on dozens of big issues and frustration is understandable.
If you're a Nihilist, no solutions are needed or even possible. That's just one obvious counter-example, but in general there is nothing inherently frustrating about any truth (or falsehood).
Frustration is "understandable" but that's because many people do have worldviews that don't match up with reality.
