Kurt Gray (Pantheon)
It is hard to ignore just how bitterly divided the world feels right now. Over the past year, elections in more than 100 countries have exposed the widening gulf between opposing views. Online, debates spiral into hostility within seconds. In person, contentious topics are often avoided altogether.
Like many, I have struggled to understand “the other side”, let alone imagine bridging the divide. But in Outraged: Why we fight about morality and politics and how to find common ground, Kurt Gray, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina, sets out to unpack and to analyse this struggle. Luckily, he is both shrewd and clear. By exploring the science behind morality, he also reveals why we fight and, crucially, how we can reconnect.
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Gray begins the story of morality thousands of years ago with our prehistoric ancestors. Despite humanity’s modern status as the planet’s top predator, Gray argues that our moral instincts are rooted in a history of vulnerability. Early hominins were prey as much as predator, constantly threatened by dangers like sabre-toothed tigers or giant hyenas. Fossil evidence, such as the famous remains of a Taung child found in modern South Africa, probably killed by an eagle, underscores this reality. These risks shaped morality as a survival tool, hardwiring us to detect and respond to danger.
This evolutionary lens offers a powerful explanation for current political divides: a person’s political opponents are no longer just wrong, they are dangerous. Gray invites us to reframe this instinct, urging us to see adversaries not as predators, but as fellow humans, motivated by the same need to prevent harm.
Yet if our moral instincts are universal, why do they seem to vary so dramatically between groups? Progressives may focus on harms such as poverty or environmental destruction, while conservatives may emphasise values like loyalty or purity. Gray dismantles the notion that these two groupings represent separate moral universes. Instead, he argues, all morality is rooted in perceptions of harm, and differences arise from what each group happens to deem harmful. For example, while some may dismiss the violation of social norms as relatively harmless, others end up seeing it as a threat to social cohesion.
All morality is rooted in perceptions of harm, and differences arise from what each group deems harmful
That notion leads to the heart of Outraged: the concept of moral humility, which translates into the ability to recognise the limits of your own perspective while respecting the validity of the moral convictions of others. It isn’t about abandoning your values, but appreciating that your opponents are motivated by the same deep-seated instincts.
So how do we bridge these divides? Facts alone won’t suffice. One of the book’s most striking points critiques our over-reliance on data in moral disagreements. As we can see in the US debate over gun ownership, both sides can dismiss opposing statistics as biased or incomplete, prioritising intuition over logic. Instead, personal stories of harm are far more effective in fostering empathy and understanding.
Thankfully, Gray doesn’t stop at diagnosis: as his book title promises, he offers practical advice for navigating polarised conversations. His steps – connecting through stories, inviting dialogue and validating concerns – provide a road map for meaningful engagement with those who don’t hold the same views as you.
Ultimately, Outraged is a grounding and timely book for anyone who, like me, is frustrated by today’s polarised world. It offers a sobering and necessary reminder that our opponents aren’t monsters, but just other people, shaped by the evolutionary and psychological forces that created us too.
While some insights, like the importance of empathy, may feel too obvious, Gray’s data-driven approach and exploration of religion, social media and moral psychology enrich the narrative.
In a world that often feels hopelessly divided, Gray’s book does seem to offer not just a path towards reconciliation, but also an important reminder of our shared humanity.
Chen Ly is a writer and researcher based in London
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