Governments and the media, to manage Covid, have deliberately encouraged fearfulness and suspicion of others to reduce our social contact and thereby manage infection rates. Not a bad short term public policy measure, but how do we now reverse this anxiousness? Humans are social creatures: we require social engagement to maintain our wellness. Anxiety makes one less social and more isolated.
Fear and doubt in the longer term poison the fabric of society, as they encourage intolerance and distrust of OTHERS. Once fear and doubt guide our social behaviours, we start to question whether OTHERS will be harmful or unhelpful to us. Before you know it, so many otherwise normal and kind people have become a threat, those OTHERS we should be cautious of. Personal safety would suggest we should be suspicious of more and more people (OTHERS). Where is this going?
All sincere and helpful forms and expressions of love or inclusion start with trust and acceptance, while acknowledging the possibility of fear and doubt. Adding an initial conditional requirement of overcoming doubt to allow for love and caring undermines the natural rhythms of affection and inclusion. Once you open the doubt and fear emotion, it quickly runs wild and the possibly of love and kindness decreases materially.
Doubt and fear also threaten our confidence and courage. Opening ourselves to questioning our goals and beliefs swiftly shuts down ambition and sensible risk taking. Unless directly and quickly addressed, fear and doubt succeed in convincing us that it is not worth the effort or engagement to attempt challenging or aspirational ambitions. Doubt and fear are bottomless pits: there is no limit to how deep and dysfunctional these feelings can go in polluting our wellness and sense of worth.
I am not suggesting mindless and careless indifference to possible threats, but rather pondering whether we have the balance right between love and doubt; trust and fear. I feel now is the time to start thinking and designing our post-Covid life and the ‘new normal’. The more positive emotions like love, kindness, inclusion and tolerance are incorporated into this new, revised world, the more promising our tomorrows will be. .
Reflection Source: www.Smallercup.org
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