What’s the upside to living in perpetual rage?
Aug 23, 2017, 12:17 PM | Updated: Aug 27, 2017, 7:52 am
(File, Associated Press)
So, I’ve been doing this segment for about a month now.
The original pitch to me was: “Ron, I love it when you get so worked up that you proclaim ‘What Are We Talking About Here?’ Why don’t you do that every day?'”
Here’s the problem I had with that premise. I don’t enjoy being angry all the time. So I felt like I needed to broaden things in order to come up with something interesting five days a week.
And that brings us to today.
If you listen to the Ron and Don Show even a few times, you can probably surmise that I’m not a huge fan of Donald Trump. I’ve written a few takes on him. How could I not with the month we’ve had?
I try very hard to punch above the belt and articulate why I’m making a critique. I usually back things up with research and facts. I may not be correct all the time, and I’m admittedly biased. But it’s my job to have an opinion.
So what are we talking about here? I’m truly curious about some of the people that have been responding online and via text. I mean this in all sincerity. Why are you so angry? How did you get to this place?
We all have those moments when things don’t go our way, but the tone and tenor of the rage right now is new to me. It doesn’t make me angry in return, it elicits sadness.
I wonder if you are this angry all the time about everything. If they forget cheese on your burger, do you fly into a rage? When the Wi-Fi stops working, do you troll the cable company as soon as you are able?
What’s the upside to living in perpetual rage?
I know that most people are pretty set in their ways, including me. But I hope that maybe a few people might hear something that makes them think differently. We don’t have to agree on everything, but let’s agree about this: anger is the least productive way to build a community.
Is it possible to just listen and to someone and disagree? Anger is cheap. Anger is easy. It takes effort to ask yourself, “is that a valid point?”
I’ll make you a deal. I’ll dial back the Trump criticism and you do something that brings you joy. Being angry all the time is no way to live.