A term for what motivates a keyboard warrior (or moral grandstanding in general.)
Morality or ethics isn't the point. Genuine concern for the issue they'
re talking about, isn't the point. And social status/
clout, doesn't quite cover their motivations either. Because this is a very specific kind of affirmation seeking.
People who are righteous indignation junkies today, are basically
like a modern representation of the Salem Witch Trial
crew...They've just exchanged their pitch forks for keyboards, and stake kindle for declarations of hardline"wokeness".
Just as some hivemind
Salem dipshits, got a dopamine/neuroepinephrine rush, burning
people at the stake back in the day (because they thought their actions were on the side of the angels)...Today'
s righteous indignation junkies are motivated by a similar chemical cocktail.
It'
s just that torture and public executions aren't a common pastime anymore, so that thirst for blood had to get a post-modern rebranding. That's what today'
s insincere moral outrage essentially is. Blood thirstiness channelled into a more socially acceptable package.
Have you ever come across someone who appears to constantly jump on the bandwagon of angry editorial headlines, without really knowing or caring about the topic at hand? Do all their posts have a tone of righteous indignation? Do they never talk about things that might improve a social issue (or things that are currently being done)? Does it appear
like critical thinking is a foreign country in their
brain? And everything they say is motivated by wanting to feel righteously indignant?
That'
s a righteous indignation
junkie.
