The Ego Virus
The Other Pandemic in the Coronavirus Outbreak
The reactions of the American people during the Coronavirus outbreak gives critical insight into how we operate as a society and individuals. A second “virus” is infecting the lives of the American people. This virus has been manifested and enabled by our culture for over a century. It is the ego virus. The effects of how we continue to react as a people has the potential to be much more damaging to our long term health.
Not every citizen has reacted in the same way; however, the majority do have symptoms of this ego virus. The symptoms are manifestations from living in a privileged world where we have learned to expect luxury. We panic at the first indication of losing our privileges. Concern for the virus and its potential to affect individuals is legitimate. However, an issue arises when the focus becomes centered on preparations, precautions, and topics that are misinformed, misguided, unnecessary, or unrealistic. These reactions become toxic when they are motivated by the ego of an individual or a societal standard. The virus of the ego has the potential to add salt to the wound of the virus pandemic if people do not reframe how they approach the situation as a whole. Moments of crisis are best solved in unity but have the potential to drastically divide a people if not approached correctly.
The Symptoms
Materialistic
The race to the shelves for toilet paper is a starting point for the many symptoms of ego. Infection begins with materialism. We function in a society with such high standards of luxury that we fail to recognize the majority of items for their luxurious value. Toilet paper was first marketed in the United States in 1857. The original tagline for advertisement was “The greatest necessity of the age!” This information brings two realizations: humans survived thousands of years without toilet paper, and we first had to be convinced it was a necessity. Only for the last 163 years has civilized society had access to the convenience of the product, yet we flock to it in the year 2020 for “survival.” The hoarding of toilet paper is just a metaphor for a large scale problem amongst American people. An obsession and fixation on high standards of living and a refusal to think past life without the ease and pace of privileged life. The materialistic approach creates a lack of appreciation for the materials themselves and enables an ignorance of real necessities for survival.
Greed
With the practice of buying supplies in bulk, we see the symptom of greed. Thousands of online pictures depict shopping carts filled to the brim and grocery store shelves emptied. At the first sign of controversy, the reaction of the American people is to get all they can for themselves. We have abandoned consideration for what is left for the rest. Preparation is always wise, but it becomes dangerous when little regard is given for the person who comes after. Lack of empathy triggers a survival mode and inspires a chain reaction process of take, take, take. The CDC recommends preparing a two week supply for the sick, elderly, and vulnerable, yet the young and healthy gauge the shelves in mass quantity with no regard for rationing or necessity. Such actions come not from need but selfishness. Self-centered action drives a wedge between communities. A divided people in a time of crisis is destined to fail.
Self-Centered
The less understanding people have of a situation; the more decisions will be made that are unnecessary and damaging. When done in mass quantity, unnecessary precautions then become necessary for the rest to keep up. New systems of order are put in place that force everyone to follow in likeness with their predecessors. A focus becomes shifted on self-preservation and away from the concerns of the community. Anxiety from circumstance becomes heightened as people begin to perceive a requirement to fight amongst each other to survive. Panic is never the correct answer. Calm, realistic, and empathetic approaches are always the best solution. Being educated on the real threats and actual possibilities helps ease situations for all involved.
Closeminded
Hysteria comes from those who do not know or refuse to understand/learn a situation for what it is. We live in a time where information and knowledge are afforded to us quickly and easily. Many attach to the first information they encounter and do not enact any time or energy to looking deeper into facts and solutions. Being educated and well informed is no longer a priority. We assume power over a situation with a minimum of knowledge and understanding. We approach with an attitude of indignance and intolerance under the precedence that our experience entitles us to act and direct in whichever way we please. Little energy is exhausted towards hearing counter-arguments or corrections.
A woman posted an online video after her experience shopping at a store. The woman witnessed another customer harass a cashier after he touched his face while ringing in groceries. The customer demanded the cashier pause his job and wash his face before he finished the transaction.
The information the customer was working from was the CDC recommendation not to touch the face. The fear was the cashier would infect the groceries if he did not wash his hands. The customer misunderstood that every person only risks infecting themselves by touching their own faces. Operating from misinformation and being closeminded to facts caused frustration for the customer, the cashier, the speed of operations, and other patrons.
Unrealistic Expectations
From attitudes that are self-righteous and ignorant comes intolerance. Hoping for the best is a positive approach, but assuming every circumstance or event will perform to the highest standard is impractical and unrealistic.
A customer at a retail store made a complaint to the management about a fellow customer not washing her hands after using the bathroom. After making the complaint, the customer declared she would be leaving the store because of the lack of cleanliness.
The customer failed to understand the store management had no control over every behavior of every customer. Instead of choosing to be multidimensional in her understanding, the customer decided to become angry at how her experience did not fit her exacting standards. She placed blame and made an impromptu decision instead of taking responsibility for what she could control her choice to go in public, and her sanitation practices. Unrealistic expectations also comes from a sense of being owed. The idea that we are entitled to have our cake (go out shopping in public) and eat it too (have every person in the public abide by and enforce our standards).
Entitled
All of the preceding examples stem from entitlement. We believe we are owed our luxury, materials, opinions, and outcomes without challenge or opposition. Entitlement is the justification for staying locked in the cycle of beliefs and behaviors driven by ego. Entitlement excuses us from finding solutions that benefit the community and create unity, peace, and prosperity for all.
Death from the ego virus comes slowly to individual and quickly to the society. Both are sure to perish if there is no drastic change in thinking and order.
The Results
Paranoia
The threat to our privilege is what is driving the nation into madness. We give little attention to factual statistics of the virus. The virus spreads quickly, yes. The threat is that it will spread; however, it has been made clear that the majority who contract it will survive. The precautions set by health officials and government are in place to protect those most susceptible to the disease. A majority have analyzed these restrictions from a self-centered mind and utilized misunderstanding to react in ways that are counterproductive and damaging the situation.
Unprepared
Many have already come into contact with the virus without knowing they have. People still crowd retail stores and public locations suited with masks and gloves in an attempt to protect themselves from contracting the disease. Real prevention would be not taking unnecessary trips to public places, and masks are recommended only to those who are already sick. Our concern does not revolve around this virus but around our egos. We are not protecting our health; we are protecting our valuables and our rights to obtain them. The valuables we have chosen as priority predict that in an actual life or death situation, we would not survive. Our focus is centered on luxury and not on necessity. Power for survival also comes in numbers, yet we are determined to divide ourselves from our fellow man. Our primary concern surrounds our trivial wants. We seek to obtain our desires even if it is at the loss of another.
Divided
We chose to stay ignorant by committing ourselves to misinterpreted facts that support our egotistical actions and beliefs. We justify these actions and beliefs with proof of our importance and entitlement. We abandon the responsibility for the part we play and place blame on the rest of the world. A chain reaction follows that forces more into this pattern of operating.
The solution comes from those who chose to recognize this pattern of ego and go against it. It is no easy task. The virus of ego does stems from an animal instinct to survive. We are privileged in the sense that we live in a society where that animal instinct is not needed to fight for our survival. National crisis is a time to practice the human gifts of rationality and empathy. We can protect ourselves and each other at the same time. With gratitude and reason, we can cherish the materials we do have and ensure others have their needs met. Information is readily available to us. We can receive accurate information from an unbiased approach and educate others. We can choose to recognize the value everyone has to offer and make decisions that work best ourselves and the community. Survival of the majority becomes the priority. Unity promises peace and prosperity for all. Forgiveness is the final principle in the vaccination against the ego virus. We must forgive ourselves and others for where we fall short in positive and progressive action. If we all try our best, we will recover.
