Coronavirus and Common Sense
With the spread of misinformation about coronavirus, it becomes dangerous for us to believe everything we read. In times like these, it is important to use our common sense. We have to think about the personal agendas behind false information spread. The combination of cabin fever and isolation can cause us to make decisions based on our emotional needs instead of logic. If you’re coming from a place of fear, loneliness, or desperation, your common sense can be clouded over and it can be hard to trust others, let alone yourself.
Coronavirus: The Common Enemy
Coronavirus has no boundaries. Much like narcissism, it doesn’t care who you are. It latches onto people and sucks their life force away. During this worldwide crisis, emotions are heightened. People are more scared than usual and more short tempered than usual. Our reactions to the pandemic can be telling of our mental state. Challenge yourself to think, who are you during this time of crisis? There are people who use COVID-19 as a weapon, who hog supplies, and treat essential workers with impatience. When we’ve been hurt severely, it stunts our ability to form a healthy empathic psyche. The current global challenge is to heal our own wounds so we can help the human race overcome this crisis.
“As a human race we have become fragmented into nations, religions, social classes, politics, and races. The fragmentation has resulted in clash and fallout in the form of human atrocities. Although we’ve been able to soar to unlimited heights in many areas of human endeavor, we have not accomplished the final and most important frontier: to come together as a united humanity.”
Dr. Judy Rosenberg
We cannot fix this by focusing on the big picture of ME rather than WE. It is not useful stick to old unhealthy habits and defenses. If we heal our own wounds and reconnect with our humanity, then we will naturally be more considerate and careful around others to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you can’t be the person who reaches out to others, volunteers, and gives themselves to the cause of supporting others, then you do not have to go to the other extreme, which is putting others at risk.
Err on the Side of Kindness
“Well, here we are. You say we’re on the brink of destruction, and you’re right. But it’s only on the brink. The people find the will to change. Only at the precipice do we evolve. This is our moment. Don’t take it from us. We are close to an answer. ”
The Day the Earth Stood Still
We are all depending on each other to be responsible through considerate actions like wearing masks and limiting frivolous outings to slow the spread of this virus. However, we also have the responsibility to take care of ourselves. The more healthy we are psychologically, the stronger our immune systems are. Compassion bolsters our immune system. We can use this time to evolve and focus less on human DOING and more on connecting with ourselves as human BEINGS. When we have people to support us through our hardships, the weight of whatever burden we have to carry is lightened.
There are ways we can still come together when we are isolated. Reach out to our friends and family through video chat, let them know we love them. We can find ways to be agents of peace. Brainstorm ways you can help others! If you have a neighbor who cannot get food because they are immunocompromised, you can get their groceries for them. You can offer support to someone who has lost a loved one, work on spending more time with your family, you can practice self-care.
Ahimsā: Do No Harm
Now is the time to do no harm. We cannot rush this. We may miss going to the beach or restaurants or seeing our friends and family, but we must do the necessary waiting until it is safe for the world.
From a Mind Map Perspective
When our own boundaries have been violated early on in life, we have more of a tendency to violate. If everyone were healed, they would have no need for harmful narcissistic defense mechanisms. Narcissistic defenses are responses to a system-gone-wrong where parents put themselves before their children, causing a childhood wound. When people build these defenses, it is very hard to connect to other people, especially to put themselves in each others’ shoes and empathize with them. The pain of the childhood wound zaps the light out of people, so sometimes they don’t have a lot of light to give.
In order to shift out of the Double Dungeon of Darkness where we isolate ourselves from others and are suffering in our own minds, we must Be The Cause of starting our own healing. Get to the root cause of your pain, identify those defenses that isolate you, and dismantle the negative core beliefs that your childhood wounds have created. Load up on self-care so that you can be kinder to others. Create a better ME to contribute to a better WE!
