The COVID crisis was one that knocked at our doors at a time when the world was
collectively going through a phase which forced us we to rethink the correctness of
our age old traditions, and was somewhat a final nail in the coffin of a world that was
too stubborn to let go of its outdated ideas. Because covid brought with it the
consequences, that were inevitable after all the damage that we put our entire
community through. It made us reconsider our priorities entirely, reminded us that
there is not much time left, that our selfish ways have consequences and will come
back to us. And now, to bear the brunt of our actions, our community has to go
through collective trauma.
Collective trauma means a traumatic psychological effect shared by a group of any
size, and this time the group includes all of humanity. When elderly American and
European generations would sit in the dark to “save power” even when it wasn’t
needed, was due to the collective trauma they faced due to The Great Depression of
1930s. Or when the Indian women of medieval ages kept a vial of poison with them
so they can die instantly because that would be better than being raped by the
invaders, and this kind of mentality continued to this day, even when rape became a
serious punishable offence. This shows that collective trauma has been no stranger
to us, we are all the product of the pain it brings in some way, and how it has been a
milestone in the evolution of the human.
Because if The Great Depression hadn’t happened, the concept of macroeconomics
wouldn’t have emerged, or if the women hadn’t adopted this way to escape rapists,
people wouldn’t have the guts to fight against it, and the feminist movement
wouldn’t have picked up the pace that it did. Let’s not forget the rapid modernisation
of Japan after the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings. Whenever life throws something at
us, we have the tendency to become better and evolve into much smarter race, and
this is exactly what COVID is here to do.
It requires us to bring about some behavioural change, one which goes against
whatever we have been taught as the standard human behaviour. Man is called a
social animal, so social distancing seems like an impossible feat! Sure, there is a
theory that a person’s behaviour is based off what they feel is best for their health,
but aren’t their different kinds of health that are at risk because of this? What about
someone who has an issue with their mental health and need to be around people to
feel at peace, or how are people going to deal with minimal physical movement for
such a long time? Obviously, we need something more than just some short term
solutions. Something that just might change the thought process and physical
requirements on a large scale.
There have been global pandemics before, that were much deadlier than this, and
they all have resulted in some major cultural changes. But the difference this time
was that the world leaders and their blind followers were under the illusion that we
had the nature under control. The constant denying of climate was a proof of that.
Our leaders who are supposed to be smarter than us about governance, who were
meant to protect us, were the reason for our helplessness and inability to protect our
world. The pillars of democracy and what it stood for completely shaken. Can the
person chosen by the people really to be trusted? People electing candidates on
pointless basis like religious or racial superiority was already considered problematic,
but we all know how common and prevalent it is.
The point being, that as you sow, so shall you reap. We have been too careless in
making decisions as an entire society. We have been so absorbed in our own trivial
matter to avoid thinking about the great unknown consequence that we all know is
due for us. Not only is this going to force us to think sustainably, this is also going to
make us a compassionate community. Because now we see how this system of
concentration of resources and the extreme classism is destroying the human race,
and we remember which type of ruler really stepped up; someone who’s agenda was
war or someone who’s agenda was peace.