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Silver Linings
I am tired of rehashing all the things I am mad about. So I’d like to try something new: a positive post on all the great results of the Wuhan Virus lockdown. Here is my quickie list; feel free to quibble, condemn, or supplement!
1) A lot of marriages and families are stronger for spending real time together. Corollary results: 40% of parents say they are now more likely to homeschool (30% less-so). I have heard from many parents that they have gotten to know their kids much better, and are happier for it. The family is the core unit of Western Civilization, and our families have run a gauntlet. Adversity which does not kill us makes us stronger.
2) Many jobs are being done as well or better at home, reducing commercial rental costs for business, enhancing the “value add” of knowledge workers. This trickles down to less cost for goods and services over time, as well as higher quality of life for people who will spend less time commuting and who like their families.
3) Hopefully, we have a lot more skepticism about “science” and “experts” and the media going forward. This may, of course, be mere wishful thinking in my part.
4) Is it possible that we will emerge with more balanced perspectives about what is important? I do not mean “our health” — I mean our relationships.
Pile on!
Published in General
I’m driving 90 mph in the Right lane and getting passed (whoops).
I’m thankful that the dog-and-pony show known as the US Presidential Election Process has withered away to near-obscurity for the time being.
I too would list all of the happy side effects of the quarantine suggested in the original post.
My daughter has been working at two jobs and her husband one very demanding job ever since their son was born nine years ago. These past two months, my daughter and son-in-law have been enjoying the time together as a little family immensely. I’ve said to my husband numerous times, “Kate and Matt may be the only happy people in America right now. They are really enjoying being home with their son.” :-)
I’d say I’ve learned a lot about the importance of reflecting on the role of fear in my life, due to health concerns and the virus, too. It’s amazing how easy it can be to succumb to fear. I’m determined to not let it get the better of me!
@iWe , as a corollary to your third point, it would be an incredibly valuable consequence if scientists and experts gained some much needed humility and self-awareness about their own intellectual limitations in general, and of the limitations of computer models in particular. In my dream new world, no model or forecast would ever be used without discussions of basic assumptions, uncertainties, error bars, and track record of the forecast method or model.
One other silver lining of the Wuhan pandemic.
I’m very hopeful that just as the HIV/AIDS crisis gave us a far greater understanding of anti-virals, this current pandemic will yield insights into coronavirus attack mechanisms, and RNA virus replication. Indeed, understanding the attack mechanism will help us engineer pharmaceuticals which target only a sick cells while leaving healthy cells alone.
Without intent to sound cynical, this is another crisis we should not waste.
I hope that voters remember which government officials have a tyrannical streak and which ones were inclined to leave matters in our own hands (or local hands, as appropriate).
And countries.
But so many people I know would give up everything for a little security. I don’t know how to reach those people.
There’s a corollary here as well.
The majority of scientists involved in some form of Covid research – I’d say at least 80% – are actually just as humble, self-aware, and open about their limitations as you would like. Some of them even to a fault.
The problem is that nobody is interested in those scientists.
The media want the scientists who will give them a strong opinion with an excessively high degree of confidence. “This virus could kill millions of Americans!” or “this virus is actually no more harmful than the flu!” both generate magnitudes more clicks than “our data is insufficient to make any prediction about how deadly this virus might really be.”
Politicians want clear answers and suggestions to issues they know absolutely nothing about but need to react to immediately. So a politician will naturally gravitate toward the scientist who says “you need to lock everyone down now!” over the one who says “yes, the virus will spread more rapidly without lockdowns, but we still don’t know how bad the consequences of unchecked spread would be”.
So of course, the 10% most irresponsible scientists get 90% of the public attention. That’s not to indemnify science, but just to say: it takes two to tango. The human nature underlying the public desire for certainty is at least as much to blame for overconfidence in shoddy science as are the scientists themselves.
I agree, iWe.
I’ve got a colleague who says that he and his wife have been “attending church” with their three sons (19, 17 and 16) for the first time in years—the boys’ activities and jobs having been canceled and far fewer ways of evasion and escape, perhaps? Be that as it may, they will remember this time, and “church on the couch” for the rest of their lives.
There’s a scary lot of truth in what you say about the culpability of politicians and media (andt he general public) for their appetite for simple and sensational sound bites and click bait. Unfortunately you may be correct about the limited audience for thoughtful and sober scientists.
My family is not handling this well. There is damage to the relationships that is going to take some time to heal.
Thank you for this, iWe. These current events certainly brought my family together. It was also wonderful to see how the little private school I work for is handling the campus shutdown with such grace and leadership. Also, many of the parents we surveyed commented that they are savoring this time with their children.
I am very sorry to hear it.
And regarding what’s important: of the many things that may not bounce back from this, I wonder if trivial and contrived causes might be among them. I’m thinking of global warming, gender-identity nonsense, etc.
Let’s see if we emerge with a new sense of what isn’t a crisis.
Interestingly, in Texas the governor and attorney general acted to rein in some local officials that were getting too big for their britches.
One of the huge benefits that should carry on is the obsession with cleanliness, especially in medical-care institutions. It is well-known that even the most prominent institutions, including teaching hospitals, have a low-grade problem with hospital-originated infections. It is also well-known that long-term-care nursing homes have a big problem with infection control. Even doctors everywhere often resist hand-washing. After this, I think we can expect a lower level of infections in all health-care settings, from hospitals to nursing homes, to neighborhood clinics, based on all personnel developing better hand-washing habits.
Unfortunately, some people use the virus itself to highlight those things… as if a virus has some form of conscious bias. But it would be nice if those things died.
I’m sorry as well.
I can’t say that I see a lot of silver linings, but I definitely appreciate the “normal” days that existed before mid-March a heckuva lot more than I did before…. It’s always good to understand how good you had it.
My daughter and son in law have two children and wanted at least one more. They had, I think, kind of resigned themselves to accepting that it wasn’t to be.
Found out yesterday they’re expecting a baby in December !!!
At least you’re observing the rule “slow drivers keep right” . . .
Maybe the callous treatment of the elderly and vulnerable in nursing homes and care facilities will slow down the growing push for euthanasia, here in Ireland and elsewhere.
Maybe some of the healthcare deregulation will stick.
I have really upped my cooking game. There have been some delicious meals at our house in the past two months.
I hope so. People keep using that word “science.” I do not think it means what many of them think it means.
I’ve always thought that “science” was furthered, and advanced, by the skeptics. And by people willing to (in some cases, literally) stick their neck out and go against the grain. And say things like: No, you’re wrong. The earth does revolve around the sun, and not the other way round. Sometimes, it took hundreds of years, and a great many people (some of whom came to unpleasant ends, or lived miserable lives as a result of their unpopular views) to prove this, but, by gum, they kept trying until they did. Because, science.
Apparently, we learned nothing from their experiences and haven’t benefited much from their hard-won victories.
Because now, “science” just seems to be something that aligns with a political agenda and is delivered to us by talking heads and politicians. And every time we are told what the science of a particular situation is (climate change, coronavirus, etc.), we are expected to do what we’re told, in the interests of “the science.” (Especially if it’s “settled science.” That’s like using a “Z” tile in both directions at once and scoring double points in Scrabble.) And anyone who doesn’t fall into line, or who says different at the time is a “science denier.” Just like the sixteenth century.
Until three weeks later, when we suddenly find ourselves all wearing masks. The “science deniers” of three weeks ago are today’s purveyors of the settled science. Just do it. And forget we ever said different.
Next week, who can say what the “science” will be? But as long as we follow it, with no questions asked when we’re told what it is, I’m sure we’ll be just fine.
I hope that the plastic bag ban will now be done with.
I hope conservatives will see the major need to get on the books, personal financial liability and even felony convictions for blatant disregard of the law (aka constitutions) by elected officials and bureaucratic. Or at lest curb executive powers and have quick checks that nip powers grabs with-in days. We need way more checks and balances. They are the only privileged class that can knowingly and blatantly break the law the highest laws of the land, be found guilty and the worse that happens is they get voted out. Why having robust checks and balance is not number one on ever conservatives policy agenda, I don’t know ( I guess it geeky and technical and not easy to understand sound policy). However it sure was number one, with the founders.
I agree with Homeschooling. That might be the best long term change to happen in our nation.I think you will see a massive surge. Homeschooling is the only large mainstream movement that actually is making a long term difference in our nation. Letting other raise/teach your kids is the reason we are in the state we are right now. You want kids that follow your political and religious/Moral beliefs as Adults, be the primary person who teaches them.
Spending less time in my car and almost no traffic in the morning are also nice.
When every one is tested you see their real character. I am happy to see there are lots of stanch Democratic voters, who are closer to being classic liberal in their belief than your average elected Republican. Its sad to see we have almost no classic liberal in office.
Also its not good, but this shined a big light on one major weakness. I did not realize how vapid and shallow most American Church leaders are. They care more about there little fiefdoms, and kingdoms they have built than actually practicing Christianity. Either they don’t know scripture, and church history, or they care more about what other think, than living a Christian life. They are actually not willing to pay a relative small cost to obey scripture compared to Christians (and Jews) of the past. I guess I did not realize how prevalently shallow we were in American church leadership.
Some good things that come to my mind are:
Love this post – here are some of the silver linings I’ve seen:
Some of my hopes for the future:
Beautifully said!