At the start of the United States shutting down because of the Corona Virus. I had an immense amount of fear. In fact, I think most people did. We were being told on a daily basis that death rate was 3%, maybe higher. Plus anyone could die from it. Very Scary!
I was scared out of my wits. I think most people were. But I felt like couldn’t live in fear. I had lived in fear at different times in my life, and that is debilitating. For me to remove some of my fears I had to become educated about or as knowledgeable as possible. I started searching for information anywhere I could find it and worked at making my own informed decision.
I learned a lot over a small period of time, from what Sweden is famously doing, to South Korea, Italy, Spain. The list goes on. As I learned more, I still have an underlying fear but have become bolder at getting back everyday life.
In gathering my understanding of the virus outcomes, I also would read some of the comments sections of those articles. These snippets are from my local newspaper.
I would like the think the statistics helped people but the problem is the heightened rhetoric. Using words such as “Science deniers” and “Math Deniers” creates walls for other people where they don’t even notice the numbers and can’t absorb what they mean.
Here is another example. At the end, a person writes 90,000 souls disagree. The problem with is that is that was from the economy being closed. Even the bigger problem is that, even though in a comments section, they are talking passed each other.
Sometimes people are talking passed each other, which indicates they don’t even care what the other person presents to them. Other times people will shut off because of inflammatory words that are said which people will identify with.
And then, from media to politicians, the COVID-19 virus became politicized. Literally people’s lives had become weapons for each side to wield to gain, what they thought, was an upper hand.
It really started to make me think that we need to start talking to each other about politics. And when you talk to someone who has different viewpoints, speak calmly and without catch phrases or inflammatory rhetoric.
If you’re sitting with some one with a different viewpoint, ask them to explain it and why. The key is to understand why.
I’m convinced if we talked to each other and understand where people are coming from and they understood where we are coming from you would get different elected officials and different policies.
An addendum to this. It’s very probable social media is amplifying our stilted attitudes. Isreal’s health minister blames, in part, social media.
It is the first epidemic in history which is accompanied by another epidemic – the virus of the social networks. These new media have brainwashed entire populations. What you get is fear and anxiety, and an inability to look at real data. And therefore you have all the ingredients for monstrous hysteria.
Read the rest of the article here: Click Me.
So skip social media and talk to a friend or family member and understand them and have them understand you.
