Clear the screen
The pandemic “began” five years ago in March 2020 and “ended” officially in May 2023, or less than two years ago. This surprises me. Does it surprise you? Nearly a billion were infected and over seven million died a covid-related death– and that’s confirmed cases only. All of us were impacted, though variously. For some it was horrific. Others, insulated by resources, were able to lessen or avoid full impact. All of us were affected in some way by illness or life disruptions.
The crisis overlapped toxic U.S. election cycles, and social media cemented its place for real-time information and community some of it divisive or false. Our society convulsed, and we experienced these convulsions differently due to variations in the lenses through which we viewed the world. Rather than pull us together, as many had hoped, the global pandemic left us more fractured. Our mental health declined. Fear, anxiety, depression and false projections grew and entrenched.
Blessed by the Supreme Court, massive resources were invested in winning elections at all costs. Selling fantasy and ideology– on the left and right – replaced the hard job of messy governance, the hard job of messy living. Using fear as a powerful political weapon mobilized the electorate on both sides and drove us into dualistic fantasies. Some sold a return to mythical days of safety, law and order, closed borders, nationalism and ethnic purity. Others peddled a hopeful new order where past injustices were righted, perhaps transactionally, or simply erased from history.
Against this backdrop, humble consultants on education and mental health are asked, “What do you sense at this moment?”
Stand at any circle in the city during rush hour and you’ll see what I see: righteously fractured individuals facing collective uncertainty leaning on their horns. In Washington, energies are high, and they are not healthy.
Uncertainty is more degrading psychologically than clarity, even if clarity involves an expectation of suffering. This was tested on rodents. The ones dealing with uncertainty fared much worse than the control group or even those expecting punishment. Lack of certainty is a terrible way to live though it’s an effective way to control the masses.
The only certainty we can count on, I am sorry to report, is that eventually we will die. In between our birth and death lies uncertainty and opportunities. To live a conscious life, one chooses responsibility, a recommendation chiseled on the wall of the Delphic oracle: know thyself ! If we defer this responsibility to others who would happily live our lives for us– with voices that seduce or bully– we only suffer their consequences. If we choose the path of responsibility, the work is at least ours to do and we own it. This gives us the best chance for a life of meaning and growth.
Learning never ends until life ends. Uncertainty is a necessary part of this journey. Whether uncertainty can be managed adequately may be the key determining factor in the outcome. But first we must clear the windshield of fantasy and illusion, a vital step described variously in all the great religious, mythological and psychological traditions.
After all, these are the things we teach our kids in school.