By Michael Kelman Portney

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not afraid of your outrage. In fact, I welcome it. Your pearl-clutching, your hot takes, your performative moral high ground—it’s not a threat to me. It’s not even a problem. It’s fuel. It’s content. It’s the raw material for my next blog post, where I’ll dissect your reaction, hold it up to the light, and turn it into something sharper, funnier, and far more meaningful than whatever flimsy critique you thought you were offering.

So, before you get mad, understand this: I’m counting on your outrage. It’s part of the process.

Why Your Outrage is the Perfect Source Material

1. It Proves My Point

Every time you clutch your pearls over a word like cocksucker or over the sharpness of my tone, you’re doing exactly what I expect: missing the point. You’re so busy being offended that you forget to engage with the substance of what I’m saying. And that’s exactly what I’ll write about next.

• Example: You focus on the language, I focus on your inability to address the larger issue. It’s almost too easy.

2. It’s a Window Into Your Fragility

Your outrage says more about you than it does about me. It exposes what makes you uncomfortable, what you can’t handle, and what you’d rather ignore. It shows me exactly where to dig deeper—and I will.

• What I See: If you’re more offended by my tone than by the issue I’m addressing, you’ve already lost the argument.

3. It Keeps the Conversation Dynamic

Your reaction isn’t a dead end—it’s a new beginning. Every comment, every critique, every angry email becomes a thread I can pull to explore new ideas, call out new hypocrisies, and keep the narrative moving forward.

• What I’m Saying: Your outrage isn’t the conclusion—it’s the prologue to the next chapter.

4. It Forces You to Engage

You might think your outrage is a way of pushing back, of silencing me or derailing the conversation. But all it does is drag you into the arena. The second you react, you’re playing by my rules, in my world, on my terms.

• What I’m Thinking: “You’re in my house now. Let’s see how you do.”

How Your Outrage Becomes My Next Blog Post

Step 1: You React

Maybe you’re mad about a word I used. Maybe you think my tone is too harsh. Maybe you think I went too far. Whatever it is, you let me know—publicly, privately, or even just in your own head.

Step 2: I Analyze

I look at your reaction and ask, “What does this reveal about you? About society? About the conversation we’re all avoiding?” I don’t waste time defending myself. Instead, I turn the spotlight back on you.

Step 3: I Write

Your outrage becomes my inspiration. I take your reaction, pull it apart, and turn it into a critique of the very thing you’re mad about—or of the culture that created it.

Step 4: Everyone Learns (Except Maybe You)

I write the post, publish it, and watch as it resonates with people who understand the deeper message. Meanwhile, you’re still mad about the thing you were mad about in the first place, missing the point all over again.

The Real Problem with Your Outrage

Outrage is easy. It’s cheap. It doesn’t require thought, reflection, or action. It’s a quick hit of moral superiority that makes you feel like you’ve done something without actually doing anything.

• What I’m Saying: If your biggest takeaway from my post is that you didn’t like the word I used, you’re part of the problem.

What Real Progress Looks Like

Real progress isn’t about tone-policing or nitpicking someone’s language. It’s about engaging with the substance of what they’re saying. It’s about stepping up, taking action, and doing the hard work of confronting uncomfortable truths.

• What I’m Challenging You To Do: Instead of reacting to how I say things, try thinking about why I’m saying them.

Final Thought: Your Outrage is Just the Beginning

I’m not here to cater to your sensitivities or to play by your rules. I’m here to speak truth, to challenge the status quo, and to force conversations that most people are too afraid to have.

Your outrage isn’t a threat—it’s a gift. It’s the spark that keeps the fire burning, the fuel that keeps the engine running, and the inspiration for the next thing I write. So go ahead, get mad. Call me out. Take the bait.

I’ll see you in my next blog post.