Heroes Not Zombies

We humans have evolved with strong social abilities and needs. This photo which I took in Paris one sunny day shows people relaxing around one of the pools. There are many metal seats, of two different styles, scattered around the large pool and people find free ones and pull them together to sit and chat with their friends.

In this particular photo you can see three pairs of people talking to each other. On the far side of the pond you can see many, many more.

Of course some people go there alone and sit reading, listening to music on their earphones, or just relaxing, but the vast majority are there with others so you see most people sitting in pairs or in groups.

Communicating with others really is a core need and pretty much a daily activity for most of us.

We are social creatures.

That’s probably one of the reasons this pandemic has hit us so hard. Millions of people have spent weeks isolated from family and friends. When out and about we’ve been wearing masks and trying to keep a distance from others, both practices which disrupt our desire to connect. And now at this stage in the pandemic there’s lots of fear. Even as restrictions are eased many people now regard others as potential sources of infection, or, in other words, a threat.

So I suppose it’s no wonder that there seems to be so much social dysfunction now. There’s more anger and frustration and there’s often a new harshness in interactions between people. It’s not just online that people experience daily abuse. I’ve heard many stories of doctors, nurses, shop workers, teachers and others being sworn at and verbally abused at work.

It’s sad but maybe it’s an inevitable consequence of the social dimension of this pathology we’ve named “covid”.

It’s going to take time, patience and persistence to rebuild a healthier social environment, but I think that’s what we will do. Because, ultimately, we are these social creatures who survive and thrive on healthy relationships and interactions.