“If you can keep your head, when all about you are losing theirs…”
Kipling’s quote is apropos in all kinds of relationships whether they are romantic or societal.
People have been “losing their minds” over challenging events forever. We just know about them quickly now because we live in the information age. As you keep your head in any situation, as others are losing theirs, you will have a huge advantage.
Beautiful Humans, the Coronavirus is a real concern.However, it certainly does not warrant the ‘round-the-clock coverage it is receiving or the international freak-out underway. But this is what the media do to us and how we respond. It is their job to draw eyeballs and clicks to their respective channels and keep them there. They know their audience oh so well. They know the vast majority of human beings are natural worry wart negative nellies. That is why their slogan in the news biz is “if it bleeds, it leads”. They just keep stoking the fire to boost their ratings and bottom lines.
Could they report challenges like this one in a more responsible and rational way with some historical perspective? Of course they could! But that would not feed the frenzy and the world’s appetite for worry and consternation.
On average over 50,000 people DIE of the flu just in the U.S. and Canada and over 500,000 worldwide EVERY YEAR! So far, COVID-19 has claimed 3,900 lives throughout the entire world. It sucks whenever somebody dies. But it’s part and parcel of this life of ours. In the same time period about 2,000 people have died due to being struck by lightning. Should we all stop going out during a thunderstorm or just take the proper precautions when out?
Could you imagine if the news channels were scrolling the number of cases of flu and flu related deaths across our screens every flu season like they are doing with this virus? We would be living in a constant state of fear and panic instead of just a periodic paranoia. So, maybe we should be thankful for small favors and the temporary respite they do give us.
We have overcome smallpox, polio, AIDs, Ebola, Y2K and Disco. We’ll be just fine this time, too.
When will we learn that the sky is not falling? Perhaps no time soon. We seem to have been hardwired for fear and anxiety.
Remember the story of “Chicken Little”? That’s where the saying “the sky is falling” actually came from. Well, that tale of the distress caused by an imagined looming imminent cataclysmic disaster has been around in one form or another for 2,500 YEARS! You would have thought we would have learned something in 25 centuries. We’re still in the dark ages but now with cell phones. Turn the flashlight on your phone on and see the light! Fear not! Walking through life afraid does not help you or anyone else.
Let’s get a grip boys and girls, grow up and respond to this particular challenge like rational and responsible adults. We just need some good old fashioned perspective on our current challenge.
Mostly, do what we always should be doing anyway, what common sense dictates. Wash your hands. Eat healthy. Drink plenty of water. Exercise. Get proper sleep. If you get sick, take care of yourself. Have some chicken (little) soup. Go to the doctor.Turn off the TV news and put down your device. Then come back in 90 days for the next media manufactured end-of-the-world crisis that we’ll deal with just fine, too.