Heinlein once said that a man should be prepared to move fast at least three times in his life. By that, I assumed he meant keeping a go-bag by the door. By that, he meant a person shold be prepared to abandon everything, leave it behind, and move fast.
Heinlein experienced a pandemic, two world wars, the Great Depression, and probably a few other upsets along the way. So that's an understandable assertion. ...
-David Gerrold-
"...We, however, are a very privileged generation. We have not had a war on American soil. We have not had a pandemic on this scale in a hundred years. Most of us have managed a sustainable economic existence in our lives. Most of us have not had to move fast.
This pandemic is the first global crisis that most of us have ever experienced. Our parents and grandparents had the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, and two world wars. They had a much different perception on the fragility of life and it was what they tried so hard to teach their children. At the same time, they also wanted their kids to have a better life than they did.
We got the better life. We don't have to fear smallpox or polio. Vaccinations have made most childhood diseases a thing of the past — except for really stupid people, of course.
We have a better understanding of our world and we have better tools as well. We've increased our comfort level far beyond what was imaginable 50 or 100 years ago.
So for a lot of people, the pandemic isn't just a disaster, it's a break in their reality. The circumstance is simply inconceivable — and yes, that word means exactly what I think it means. They cannot assimilate the concept. It doesn't fit into their reality. The best they can do is imagine that this is just another kind of flu.
It isn't.
These are people who will die rather than admit they were wrong.
And yes, this is a known psychological phenomenon. It's called Reality Evasion. It's called denial.
If and when they finally acknowledge that this disease is something new to their experience, it is a wedge in their thinking that will create doubt about a lot of other things — especially their membership in the orange cult.
We are not in a move fast moment. We are in a don't move moment. But the principle is the same. Survival requires a serious shift in behavior. If you want to survive, then shelter in place for as long as the pandemic remains a threat. If you have to go out for anything, wear a mask. Use hand sanitizers and alcohol or bleach wipes. Wash your hands with soap and water, singing "I Will Survive."
Stay home, learn a musical instrument, write your autobiography, teach the dog a new trick, play board games with the kids, zoom call your friends, read a book, listen to some new music, binge watch a TV series, learn to cook new recipes, bake bread, practice deep breathing and yoga, knit a full-size replica of Zac Efron, clean house, reorganize, get rid of clutter, rearrange the furniture, paint something, plant a garden, get involved with a time-consuming video game, work a jigsaw puzzle or build a Lego kit, do all the things you wanted to do if you only had the time.
And if you have to go out — if you are doing a job that is essential — find ways to stay safe on the job.
Survival is possible for most of us, if we stay sensible.
And most of all, if you need support, reach out to friends. And if you don't need support, be available for those who do."
-David Gerrold-
Neue Antwort erstellen
| 21.073 Beiträge
Besucher
Forum Statistiken
