Responsibility and COVID-19
Now is not the time to say who is responsible, and for what, with respect to COVID-19. That time should come after the dust settles, when the facts related to this pandemic are established. Then we can take stock of them and determine where responsibility lies. Yet this does not mean that other considerations regarding responsibility are of no concern to the present circumstances. There are different modes of responsibility. One mode relates to how human beings behave. It is no exaggeration to say that people and our society suffer because of automatic, habitual behaviour. Although we have control over very little, we can help deal with COVID-19 and the associated consequences by harnessing our ability to direct our own attention and conduct. We can be more active and deliberate in our interactions. By being conscious we can help ourselves behave responsibly during this time. This, in turn, will help others. The medical professionals, first responders, delivery people, taxi and truck drivers, public transportation workers, cleaners and cashiers that are continuing to do their jobs during this trying time are being tested. They deserve our thanks, and our help.
One way we can be responsible during this pandemic is by being open to learning. We are part of a situation that obliges us to pay attention to the people that some have suggested we should not. Experts have been stigmatised by those who benefit from this trend. While the associated connotations of ivory tower dwellers can evoke disdain, on some matters, experts know more than we do. Snobbery exists, and it should not be welcomed. But reverse snobbery is equally bad. We should listen in on matters we know next to nothing about. We should listen even more closely when we know little and assume we know much. Many experts are not snobs. They dispense advice in the hope that people focus on it, digest it and engage with it. When experts provide information, they are not doing so for the good of their health. They often do it, quite literally in this case, for the good of our health.
Perhaps current disregard for expert advice exists because there appear to be so many experts out there. Overselling is a common theme in our society. Knowledge and abilities are often exaggerated. It is understandable, then, that self-proclaimed experts are met with scepticism. Whether an individual is actually an expert is an important concern. Yet a common trait that appears to hold true amongst actual experts is they rarely give themselves the title; others instead bestow it. There is also another feature that helps separate experts from amateurs: simplicity. We must comprehend what we perceive. This outcome only happens if we understand the language and terms being used. Someone who knows a subject well will make it seem simpler than it is, whereas someone that does not makes it appear more complex. If we observe the persons working to address the COVID-19 pandemic, they are dispensing their knowledge in the simplest possible terms: stay at home, wash your hands, etc. We should listen to such people, however critically. We should listen still when we believe an issue does not concern us or will not affect us. Not doing so affects others. Alternatives to such thinking also assume that personal circumstances remain constant, which is a wager that can be found wanting — especially in uncertain times.
However tempting, lets also not jump on the captain hindsight bandwagon. It is easy to criticise lack of suitable policy, infrastructure and investment when reflecting on the impact of COVID-19. Although the costs of not accounting for this event have yet to be fully revealed, we must focus on working with what we have right now. Focusing on what could have been the optimal position takes attention away from the ideas that are needed now in order to provide effective and swift solutions to the problems correlated with the virus. It is of course arguable that some entities, such as certain governments, have been neglectful. That said, did we care that much about the deficiencies in areas such as healthcare, or the issues that make pandemics worse, such as inequality, before COVID-19 came about? Did we care about the people packed into close living quarters and surviving in squalor when the effects were not so uncomfortably in our faces? Before we could no longer enjoy going outside for a coffee, in a place that avoids paying taxes? We were aware of the problems relating to COVID-19 before the pandemic exacerbated them and exposed us to their effects. Yet it is questionable whether we cared enough about them. Perhaps this will change. We are, after all, experiencing the consequences of apathy.
We can start along a different path however, by helping to mitigate the spread of this virus. How do we know what will help? By informing ourselves and applying that data to our circumstances. Let our conduct be guided by information from specialists, instead of manipulated by misinformation. We have the ability to pay attention, digest information and learn. Doing so will contribute to saving lives. This is how we can be responsible right now, which is one way to pay our respects to those most affected by this pandemic.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of any entities to which he is affiliated.
