Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Angrynomics summary
Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth
How we can rearrange our economies to produce more equality and less anger
19 mins
Table of Contents
Angrynomics
summarized in 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
Anger can actually help societies succeed – but only when it’s justified.
Northern Ireland, 1980. The population is divided between those seeking reunification with Ireland and those loyal to Britain. Unfortunately, over the next decade, thousands are killed and wounded because of the conflict.
Iceland, 2017. The “Panama Papers” leak reveals that top government officials operate offshore tax havens. Reykjavik is flooded with protesters. They don’t leave until the government collapses.
Philadelphia, 2018. The Eagles win the Super Bowl. In the hours after the game, fans riot and tear up large parts of the city.
These seem like disparate actions, but they’re not. The uniting element is anger. This fiery emotion is a key driver of contemporary events. However, all anger isn’t the same. Indignation can work to rectify injustice, but it can also be used to discriminate and divide.
The key message here is: Anger can actually help societies succeed – but only when it’s justified.
Anger is an inherent part of society. Despite its bad reputation, it often serves a useful purpose. You see, anger reinforces the social norms we establish to protect the collective good. If an individual violates a norm by, say, cheating or stealing, they will be met with the collective ire of their peers.
This form of collective anger can be called “moral outrage.” Fear of this fury is great for preventing people from acting selfishly; it can also fuel the fire needed to fix injustices. This was the case in Iceland. When citizens found out that politicians had been secretly shirking their duties, their moral outrage toppled the administration in favor of a more fair government. This is justified anger – that is, anger directed at the roots of actual injustice.
However, there is another form of collective anger that presents itself as tribalism. This anger encourages people to adhere to an identity group and aggressively attack those perceived as outsiders. It’s a collective response to stress, fear, and uncertainty. In modern politics, this tribalism often takes the form of nationalism. As we’re witnessing today, appealing to nationalism can be a very effective way to motivate voters without having to address any actual policy problems.
Just look around the globe for examples. Politicians like Narendra Modi in India, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, and Donald Trump in the United States have all used this type of anger to build political support. Specifically, Trump took the dissatisfaction felt by Americans in economically depressed regions of the country and transformed it into tribal anger against immigrants. It was effective in getting elected, but it didn’t solve any problems.
So, what are some legitimate sources of anger in today’s world? We’ll look at that question in the next blink.
Want to see all full key ideas from Angrynomics?
Key ideas in Angrynomics
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Angrynomics about?
Angrynomics (2020) examines the growing atmosphere of anger around the globe. Part political theory, part social science, this approachable text diagnoses the cause of the rising resentment and proposes a few popular solutions.
Best quote from Angrynomics
The effects of recession and a secular trend in inequality provide legitimate economic reasons for anger.
—Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth
Who should read Angrynomics?
- News junkies seeking fresh takes on the current political climate
- Activists wishing to understand popular movements
- Anyone with an interest in where the world is headed
Categories with Angrynomics
Books like Angrynomics
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked
Deep Thinking
Garry Kasparov
Where Artificial Intelligence Ends and Human Creativity Begins
20 min
3.9
Moneyland
Oliver Bullough
Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World and How to Take It Back
19 min
4.4
Start growing with Blinkist now
26 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers