I was asked if I felt the closing of schools was rash.
In situations like this week, when the perception is that there is a dangerous bug going around, it is logical to switch to situations where you can take easy steps to reduce risks when you can. The far better thing to do than closing the schools is to switch to distance learning until the bug plays itself out–they can’t though since too few people thought it through before –which is the EXACT same thing for all disaster preparedness, there are ways to reduce each and every risk-usually to the point of them not being a risk anymore, usually by doing things that are not that difficult. I have been thinking about the reasons why it is so hard for us as humans to do.
Human behavior has 3 instincts that intersect. 1. if we think we see danger, our systems kind of shut down and we stay focused on it–imagine a horse in a field that thinks it sees something, or a deer. We are the same way–we can’t turn away from the train wreck. (which helps explain why it has been so effective for news to use that ‘hint of a threat’ to encourage 24 hour veiwing.
2. We subconsciously avoid/distrust things we think might be threat-I avoid the dentist since I know it has the direct threat of pain–this despite realizing that there is more future pain caused by my actions–I know that on a rational level, but in this case my subconscious takes the reigns and I have to really force myself to do the logical thing and go in.
3. We have a hard time objectively thinking about future risks. Studies have demonstrated again and again that we can have a very clear assessment of how poorly our odds are, but still, inside, feel that we’ll be OK, that it won’t be so bad, that it won’t happen to me. I think it exists because of the other two–once we sense a risk we go into ‘irrational mode’ and start avoiding them–think of the level of vulnerability you are feeling right now–have you very well may have found yourself thinking in the last week: ‘does that person look sick?’ ‘Maybe I shouldn’t go out’. We face risks each and every day–crossing the street is a risk, eating is a risk–imagine if we focused on it, and had our ‘obsessively focus and avoid’ instincts triggered–it is impossible to live that way.
I think it is important to notice that our systems prioritize functioning and getting on with your lives as more important than constant risk assessment and avoidance–it’s because the fear of risks and the way we respond do us more harm than the actual threats that exist in the world.
Lucky for us, that we are humans, and we are able to actually over-rule the irrational and illogical impulses we have to try to move away from sub-conscious inclinations to view things objectively. We will all live better if we all teach ourselves to objectively assess what risks exist in our environment and find ways to sustainably avoid them–and almost each and every time, the answer to that is finding ways to just step out of their way.
I say sustainably avoid them–our ego & pride (more instincts) lead us into thinking that we can change the world to irradicate the danger, usually by adopting some project that is going to require fundign and focus for hundreds of years to stay safe–funding and focus that will be gone probably within a single generation–so, we end up changing the world in a way that we set up a greater danger than we avoided. Building our communities and lives in a way that identifies real risks and simply builds somewhere else, or lives somewhere else is so much smarter than just doing anything, any way and trying to alter the geological/hydrological/atmospheric processes to fit what we want to do. (The natural processes of our planet have been doing what they want to do as long as the planet has been here, call be crazy, but I don’t think they even know we are here, much less show any willingness to stop doing them simply because we don’t want them to.)
Find risks, get out of the way=fewer bad things happening.
Recognize that losing access to critical resources–food, water, body heat, Medical Equipment/Prescription/your support network–that is a big huge gigantic verified risk in our lives, and one that is very very easy to make go away–back up supply of water, food, emergency blanket, keeping your prescription information and pharmacy phone number with you–and of course, maybe most important of all–increase your ability to be able to communicate and check status on the people, animals and things you love more than anything. If you don’t know how the most important things in your life are doing in a period of disruption, you aren’t going to be able to function.
There is a real, verifiable risk from illness that exists in our lives. Our subconscious tells us to either focus & start to fear, or to completely reject it and insist that avoiding all thoughts, thus avoiding all simple ways to reduce the liklihood of it happening, which increases the liklihood of it happening. More bad things happen=more bad things in your life.
Currently there is a real and verifiable risk from a new bug–every single year we face risks from viruses–we can save lives by reducing the transmission of these viruses, but we can only do so in a way that doesn’t cause more harm to our culture, if we can work together to allow us to institute the ability to work from alternate locations, flexible hours, distance learning–let us function in periods where travelling or working is dangerous. And of course, keep getting into the habits that really help–and teaching them as life skills: wash hands well, keep surfaces clean, stop chewing nails and rubbing eyes, decrease the liklihood of being coughed or sneezed upon by adding a bit extra space to your comfort zone.
