The Psychology of Outrage
Dr. Kurt Gray on Finding Common Ground
In the season finale of “This Might Get Awkward”, social psychologist Dr. Kurt Gray explains why outrage feels so constant in modern politics, and why it’s more real, more human, and more fear-based than we often assume.
Author of the book "Outraged", Kurt breaks down the steps to quell outrage and find moral ground. He describes why our brains are wired to fixate on harm and the role of social media in creating stress levels that mirror PTSD. He brings in findings from his research to explore why outrage can push people away from productive action.
The episode ends with an improv game where Kurt playfully reimagines how famous stories might had gone differently if people had actually tried to understand each other.
00:00 We live in the age of outrage
05:10 Is outrage real or performative?
09:45 How social media amplifies fear
14:30 Why our brains fixate on harm
18:55 What we’re really protecting
23:40 Villains, victims, and false binaries
28:30 How to meet people where they are
34:10 Why stories change minds more than data
40:05 Using humor to lower the temperature
47:30 Improv game: Rewriting famous conflicts