The worldwide coronavirus pandemic is serious business. Every responsible citizen ought to inform themselves about that seriousness and do everything possible to protect themselves and others.
That being said, I fear that our country is falling into a trap out of which it may never recover. That trap is the addiction to negativity and fear.
It’s well known in psychology that when a human is afraid, the part of the brain that reasons and plans appropriately is turned off or greatly hampered.
Leaders take advantage of that fear, and the media can magnify dread in order to gain followers. The focus on what might happen, and how many people might die, is especially insidious and dangerous.
My suggested alternative is this: Pick out an hour or two a day of your favorite news/commentary outlet, arm yourself with facts, and take appropriate action.
Then, shut off the incessant fearmongering and nourish yourself with quality media, including books, movies, and even television.
It’s time for Americans to pull back from the black hole of fear and dread. Else, when this pandemic lessens, we’ll be so focused on negativity that our weakened state will leave us vulnerable to relentless hucksterism and control.
Will Powers
SLO
This article appears in Apr 9-19, 2020.
Too late, the cult members have already drank the orange kool-aid and have no intention of listening to anything other than Fox News. When we come out the other side of this pandemic, it will be to the same dystrumpian future: global warming denial, mass shootings, hate groups, wealth inequality and anti-science dogma. Isaac Asimov said “When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.”
Steve – I understand your position and it’s noteworthy. Some of your prediction is likely. But we have millions of intelligent individuals in the Country who will take the high road; assessing, evaluating, and moving forward. We are a resilient species which is why we’re still all here. COVID-19 will have a resounding effect on many but it will pass and we’ll move on, as we’ve done with every other life-changing hurdle. A year from now it will still be fresh in our memory but five years from now we’ll be onto other challenges and hopefully much more prepared the next time another highly-contagious respiratory illness arrives. Jodi Picoult wrote “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.”