Common Triggers
- →Witnessing injustice or unfair treatment
- →Experiencing betrayal or deceit
- →Seeing moral principles violated
- →Personal slights or insults
- →Harmful actions by others that affect you or loved ones
- →Social issues that feel deeply wrong
Physical Sensations
- •Racing heart
- •Clenched fists
- •Heat in the face or body
- •Tightness in the chest
- •Increased muscle tension
- •Rapid breathing
Plutchik's Emotion Wheel
Working with This Emotion
Recognize
Outrage can be recognized by physical sensations like a racing heart, clenched fists, and a feeling of heat. Facial expressions might include a furrowed brow and tight lips. Behavioral signs include aggressive body language and a strong urge to act.
Understand
Common causes of outrage include witnessing injustice, experiencing betrayal, or seeing moral principles violated. It can also be triggered by personal slights or broader social issues that feel deeply wrong.
Label
To label outrage precisely, distinguish it from similar emotions like anger or frustration. Outrage is more intense and often involves a sense of moral indignation. It feels like a boiling rage rather than a mild annoyance.
Express
Healthy ways to express outrage include channeling the energy into constructive actions like activism, writing letters to authorities, or engaging in community organizing. Talking about your feelings with trusted friends can also help process and manage the intensity.
Regulate
Strategies to regulate outrage include deep breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, and physical activity to release tension. Journaling about what triggered the emotion and exploring underlying thoughts can also be helpful.
Co-occurring Emotions
Emotions that frequently appear alongside outrage, based on the NRC Emotion Lexicon.
Associated Words
Words associated with outrage from the NRC Emotion Lexicon.
Using Inner
Using Inner, you can track patterns of when and why you feel outrage. Notice the physical sensations like a racing heart or clenched fists. Explore what triggers your outrage and how it compares to other emotions like anger or frustration. Use regulation strategies like deep breathing or journaling to manage the intensity.
Try Inner for FreeSources & References
- —RULER Framework (Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence)
- —Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions
- —Geneva Emotion Wheel
- —Lisa Feldman Barrett - How Emotions Are Made
Related Content
Wrath
Extreme anger.
Anger
A strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
Rage
Violent, uncontrollable anger.
Fury
Wild or violent anger.
Projection
Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person.
The Shadow
The unconscious aspect of personality containing rejected or repressed qualities.