Every day, every minute, everywhere in the world, the media and social networks bring forth new evidence of rising anger; and often for justifiable reasons: misery of the most vulnerable; frustration of the youth; hopelessness of the unemployed; suffering of women; carelessness of the powerful; selfishness of the rich.
Anger has turned into rage because it has not been treated seriously; and it has escaladed to multiple forms of hatred: insults, anonymous threats, jostling, rapes, indiscriminate shootings, crimes and terrorism. Not to mention wars, more or less open, more or less covered by the media, which are rapidly increasing in innumerable places.
Those who have an interest in using this rage encourage it and add fuel to the fire. Others who are afraid of the rage of others, close themselves off from the outside world, or prepare retaliations, more or less in self-defence.
However, it is not by refusing dialogue with those who are angry that we will prevent the broadening of rage and hatred. And conversely, it is not by anathema against those who refuse to help the poor, or to welcome strangers that we will convince them that they are acting against their own interests. Furthermore, it is not by constraint that we will prevent those who want to live freer, to depart for destinations where they are better received. We will only succeed in accelerating the decline of those who will lock themselves behind walls.
It is not just a theoretical reasoning. It is an extremely concrete and contemporary reality. Indeed, make no mistake: everywhere in the world, and especially in France, we are not far from such a suicidal shift, from anger to rage and hatred—of all against all.
And yet, on the contrary, if it were well oriented, anger could be tremendously positive:
It is through anger that an artist goes beyond himself. It is through that a researcher finds. It is through anger that an athlete goes beyond his ordinary strength. It is through anger that a student exceeds his goals. It is through anger that an entrepreneur breaks through the obstacles. It is through anger that the weak understands that he must act without expecting anything from the powerful. It is through anger that employees dare to demand more from the owners of the capital. It is through anger that a woman finds the strength to leave the one who abuses her.
As such, in order to better succeed at this general reorientation of the anger of victims (and there is still time), it is necessary that those who could one day be the targets of the anger—the powerful—the men, the well-to-do, the settled, the heirs, the rich and famous, understand that it is not in their interest to ignore the misfortunes and fragility of others. Furthermore, it is not in their interest to allow the hatred of others to grow. They must understand that they will only retain their privileges by helping others obtain the same privileges. They must act, not on their behalf, but by their side. Moreover, they will only save their civilization by opening themselves to the products, the capital, the talents, and the ideas of others.
The answer to anger is empathy. The answer to the rage of the weak is the altruism of the powerful.
Each person may be able to apply these remarks to their particular situation, on either side of the wall of anger, whether within a family, a firm, or a nation.
When the powerful does not understand it, it may be because their world is already dead and they are the last ones not to know it. When they understand it, their universe can still hope to shine, for the happiness of all.
j@attali.com