- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Winter Olympics
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
A Therapist's Warning About the Politics of Outrage
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:24 am
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:24 am
quote:
A therapist's warning: Trump didn't break America — permanent outrage did
In my therapy practices in New York and Washington, the emotional response surrounding Donald Trump has not cooled with time. It has only hardened
By Jonathan Alpert
January 28, 2026
After my Wall Street Journal opinion piece, "Is ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ Real?" was published, the response was immediate and intense. Some readers thanked me. Many were furious. I was accused of excusing Donald Trump, minimizing harm and betraying my profession. Some messages were hostile. A few crossed into threats.
What struck me wasn’t the disagreement itself, but how quickly disagreement turned into fury. Simply questioning the idea was enough to set people off. That reaction stayed with me, because it reflected something I had already been seeing in my clinical work.
Over the past decade, one psychological pattern has quietly become dominant in American life. It cuts across education, geography and socioeconomic status. I would even go so far as to call it the defining pathology of our political era: a state of chronic political anxiety in which outrage becomes habitual and threat becomes the default lens.
...
The result is a society that struggles to disengage. Politics no longer simply informs opinions. It governs relationships, workplaces and everyday decisions. Many describe exhaustion from feeling permanently braced for the next outrage.
This is not healthy civic engagement. It is emotional overdrive. A functioning democracy cannot function in a constant state of alarm. When everything feels existential, perspective collapses. People lose the ability to distinguish between genuine danger and emotional habit.
None of this requires abandoning convictions or disengaging from politics altogether. It requires remembering that emotional regulation is not political surrender. Donald Trump will continue to dominate headlines. That much is certain.
The more important question is whether Americans will continue allowing politics to dominate their inner lives. At some point, a society has to decide whether permanent outrage is a way to live.
LINK
16
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:26 am to NC_Tigah
His brother Herb is a great trumpeter.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:27 am to NC_Tigah
I guess Donald Trump is such a Hitler that he drove America crazy.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:27 am to NC_Tigah
Therapists are the worst.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:27 am to NC_Tigah
Psychology board
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:27 am to NC_Tigah
That’s a whole lot of words to say the MSM is destroying the minds of weak Americans with its constant outrage bullshite.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:33 am to NC_Tigah
It doesn't take a phd to simply recognize that the problem is people as a whole are very easy to brain wash.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:33 am to NC_Tigah
quote:
Over the past decade, one psychological pattern has quietly become dominant in American life. It cuts across education, geography and socioeconomic status. I would even go so far as to call it the defining pathology of our political era: a state of chronic political anxiety in which outrage becomes habitual and threat becomes the default lens. ... The result is a society that struggles to disengage. Politics no longer simply informs opinions. It governs relationships, workplaces and everyday decisions. Many describe exhaustion from feeling permanently braced for the next outrage. This is not healthy civic engagement. It is emotional overdrive. A functioning democracy cannot function in a constant state of alarm. When everything feels existential, perspective collapses. People lose the ability to distinguish between genuine danger and emotional habit. None of this requires abandoning convictions or disengaging from politics altogether. It requires remembering that emotional regulation is not political surrender. Donald Trump will continue to dominate headlines. That much is certain. The more important question is whether Americans will continue allowing politics to dominate their inner lives. At some point, a society has to decide whether permanent outrage is a way to live.
This is well said. The political discourse on both sides of the aisle has become toxic, untenable, and unsustainable. Everything is “life or death.” People don’t view foreign adversaries as their true enemies anymore, but instead their fellow citizens with differing political views. I can see it from being on this board. And I’m certain the corollary is evident on boards like DU, etc.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:35 am to hashtag
quote:
The rapists are the worst.
FIFY
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:36 am to NC_Tigah
The irony is the people who really need to hear this think it’s about everyone else
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:37 am to NC_Tigah
Was accidentally listening to Sean Hannity on the radio last week. He said what he says every two and four and some in between years. In this case 2026 is the most important election in the history of our country. Talk about hyped up on politics drugs.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:38 am to Cotten
quote:
That’s a whole lot of words to say the MSM is destroying the minds of weak Americans with its constant outrage bullshite.
It isn't just the MSM. Social media and algorithms have given our most unhinged crazies on both sides the loudest bullhorns. Throw in mental illness and a constant need for online attention and validation and it's a recipe for disaster.
This post was edited on 1/31/26 at 9:04 am
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:42 am to omegaman66
quote:a decade ago the Poli Board was teetering on civilized, believe it or not.
It doesn't take a phd to simply recognize that the problem is people as a whole are very easy to brain wash.
But both Corner’s tinted glasses have become completely lacquered with their flags colors.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:43 am to NC_Tigah
quote:
Politics no longer simply informs opinions. It governs relationships, workplaces and everyday decisions.
This part really stood out. What a sad state of affairs.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:46 am to Cotten
quote:
That’s a whole lot of words to say the MSM is destroying the minds of weak Americans with its constant outrage bullshite.
So true. The corporate media is part of the corrupt Political Establishment, so naturally they will always spin everything against Trump.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:49 am to Champagne
quote:
I guess Donald Trump is such a Hitler that he drove America crazy.
No they were already crazy; President Trump gave them something to coalesce around and focus on instead of being all over the place like they were before.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 8:57 am to NC_Tigah
Excellent analysis. It aptly presents the symptom as “outrage “ while ignoring the ideological moral basis of said outrage.
DEI (Capitalism vs Socialism) is the essential and polar Moral imperative which creates the impassioned disunity moving towards contempt and the outright hatred which now permeates our political dynamic. And until some form of morally acceptable compromise between those two polar ideologies is imagined and implemented, the struggle for brute force power to determine the prevailing social culture will continue on its painful and suicidal trajectory.
Listening to Royce White on RAV; Royce is the ‘Thomas Sowell’ of political activism. Will be interesting to watch any Debates as he is running for the Minnesota US Senatorial Seat.
DEI (Capitalism vs Socialism) is the essential and polar Moral imperative which creates the impassioned disunity moving towards contempt and the outright hatred which now permeates our political dynamic. And until some form of morally acceptable compromise between those two polar ideologies is imagined and implemented, the struggle for brute force power to determine the prevailing social culture will continue on its painful and suicidal trajectory.
Listening to Royce White on RAV; Royce is the ‘Thomas Sowell’ of political activism. Will be interesting to watch any Debates as he is running for the Minnesota US Senatorial Seat.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 9:09 am to NC_Tigah
I was feeling this way for a long time. Anxiety over elections and political outcomes was difficult for me.
When I refocused on my Christian faith and put my trust in God, not politicians and human judges, that anxiety all but disappeared.
The Bible says to not put your trust in the chariot or horse, or for the king to trust in his armies, because no matter how powerful someone is, ultimately it is God who grants success or frustrates it.
We should be informed of politics and current events, and we should be involved in political actions, but we need to put our trust ultimately in Jesus Christ, who is King of kings. When we are long dead and our souls pass on, Christ will still be ruling for the good of His people and for His own glory. When the United States of America has risen and fallen, Christ will still reign in glory. When the Heavens and the Earth pass away and we are raised from the dead, Christ will still be there.
Put your trust in Christ, not in men. Your anxiety will be greatly helped.
When I refocused on my Christian faith and put my trust in God, not politicians and human judges, that anxiety all but disappeared.
The Bible says to not put your trust in the chariot or horse, or for the king to trust in his armies, because no matter how powerful someone is, ultimately it is God who grants success or frustrates it.
We should be informed of politics and current events, and we should be involved in political actions, but we need to put our trust ultimately in Jesus Christ, who is King of kings. When we are long dead and our souls pass on, Christ will still be ruling for the good of His people and for His own glory. When the United States of America has risen and fallen, Christ will still reign in glory. When the Heavens and the Earth pass away and we are raised from the dead, Christ will still be there.
Put your trust in Christ, not in men. Your anxiety will be greatly helped.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 9:10 am to onmymedicalgrind
quote:
This is well said. The political discourse on both sides of the aisle has become toxic, untenable, and unsustainable. Everything is “life or death.” People don’t view foreign adversaries as their true enemies anymore, but instead their fellow citizens with differing political views. I can see it from being on this board. And I’m certain the corollary is evident on boards like DU, etc
Not that long ago, I could escape politics. Talking about politics was seen as a taboo at work. Now, my only escape is my annual trip abroad. I cannot wait until I ex-pat to a place where politics is not on a religious fervor level.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 9:12 am to Hateradedrink
quote:
The irony is the people who really need to hear this think it’s about everyone else
Another irony is before TDS there was ODS and very few people recognize it
Page 1 of 4
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News