We are not outraged enough

MORAL outrage, according to Batson et al, is defined as "anger provoked by the perception that a moral standard-usually a standard of fairness or justice-has been violated".

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Talk about understatement. But let's work with it. For me, the active element in this definition is 'anger'.

When we encounter something that violates the basic notion of fairness or justice, we are provoked to a response.

This response is not disappointment, or sadness. It isn't hopelessness or despair, and it certainly isn't passive acceptance.

It is anger. Anger is a strong reaction that boils the blood and raises blood pressure. It elevates the heart rate, pumps adrenaline through the veins in readiness for a response, and prepares the body for action.

It focuses the mind on that which has been violated and what needs to be done.

Dare I say it, we are not nearly outraged enough, not by a long straw.

There is a genocide underway in Gaza.

It is estimated that more than 60 000 people have died since the Israeli onslaught in 2023, many of whom are presumed dead under the rubble of what used to be their homes.