Modern Outrage.
A few days ago, I was sitting at a small outdoor table at my favorite local café, enjoying a quiet afternoon with a book and a Diet Coke. An agitated middle-aged woman at the next table suddenly turned toward me, her face etched with frustration, and demanded, “Aren’t you upset by all that is going on in the world right now?”
I closed my book and looked at her calmly. “What do you mean?” I asked.
She gestured wildly with her hands. “How can you even ask that? The wars raging overseas, the planet literally burning from climate change, our basic rights being eroded every day, food prices through the roof, young people unable to buy homes, political division tearing families apart… It’s all collapsing! How are you not furious?”
I took a slow breath and set my cup down. “I’m not upset, no. I’ve learned that constant worry over things far outside my circle of control doesn’t help me or anyone else. It only steals today’s peace without improving tomorrow. I focus my energy on what I can influence, my own thoughts, actions, relationships, and responsibilities.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “That sounds incredibly selfish. There is so much wrong with the world! Everything is speeding downhill. Don’t you care about your children’s future? Or your grandchildren’s? Don’t you watch the news?”
“I do follow what’s happening,” I replied evenly. “And yes, there are serious challenges. Humanity has always faced wars, plagues, economic crises, and environmental problems. But we’ve also eradicated diseases, doubled life expectancy in a century, connected the world through technology, and lifted billions out of extreme poverty. The media rarely highlights these wonders because fear and anger gets more clicks. I choose not to let that constant negativity rent space in my head.”
She leaned forward, voice rising. “You’re being naïve and dangerously passive! If everyone thought like you, just sitting back, smelling the flowers while Rome burns, society would fall apart. We need outrage! We need people to demand change!”
I nodded thoughtfully before answering. “I understand why you feel that way. Outrage feels like action, but it rarely is. Real, lasting change has usually come from individuals who first mastered themselves, who built, created, innovated, and solved problems instead of staying perpetually angry. If more people focused on self-improvement, strong families, honest work, kindness in their daily interactions, and personal resilience, we’d have far fewer problems to begin with. A calm, clear mind solves issues more effectively than an enraged one.”
She scoffed loudly. “So you’re just going to ignore all the suffering? Pretend everything is fine while people are struggling?”
“I’m not ignoring suffering,” I said gently but firmly. “I help where I can, in my community, with the people around me, through my work and choices. But I refuse to be emotionally destroyed by every global crisis I can’t affect. That doesn’t make me heartless; it makes me useful. The Stoics understood this centuries ago: we don’t control the events of the world, only our judgments about them. I choose to judge that, despite its flaws, this is still an astonishing time to be alive, full of beauty, opportunity, and potential for those willing to seize it.”
Her face flushed with anger. “Unbelievable. You’re part of the problem with that kind of thinking. Head in the sand, privileged denial!” She stood up abruptly, grabbing her bag. “I hope you enjoy your little bubble while the world ends around you!”
She muttered a string of insults under her breath and stormed off across the patio, shaking her head the entire way.
I sat quietly for a moment, took another sip of my Diet Coke, and reopened my book. The sun was still shining.
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