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Dealing with Selfishness during COVID-19
Why the current “leadership’s” actions are detrimental in America and how you can be better
By now, most of us have settled into this new normal of quarantine-life as a result of Covid-19. The travesty that has resulted from this pandemic nightmare has undoubtedly shaken the entire world. As thousands of people are battling this awful and currently incurable disease, it has opened up a new level of urgency for compassion, patience, and aid toward those even outside of our network of family and friends. And as beautiful and heartfelt it is to see people make sacrifices for the greater good of their neighbor, the disturbing fact remains that there is an unspoken pandemic that has existed long before this one among humanity. That pandemic is known as selfishness.
If you live in America or have watched the news at any point in the last four years, then the current POTUS’s antics, rhetoric, and strategies for the “well-being” of this country shouldn’t be lost on you. Now, I’m not here to discuss politics or try to prove why his policies (or the lack thereof) are hollow, inaccurate, and inhumane. But I will address how his credibility has influenced or perhaps reiterated the opinions of the multitude of those in America who are far more concerned about themselves than they are about others, especially since the pandemic began.
Last Thursday, during one of his press briefings, the POTUS made a questionable statement about the possibility of finding a way to use disinfectant to “inject” into people with coronavirus (or beams of (sun)light). Within hours of yet another one of his ridiculous “theories”, social media and news outlets (including FOX) had to unanimously conclude how much of an asinine, not to mention a hazardous statement he made. It was so irresponsibly dangerous that the company of Lysol and Clorox issued a statement to inform everyone that ingesting such products is not only harmful but lethal.
Read more about this here:
Last week in Georgia, Governor Kemp made the premature decision to reopen the State of Georgia (along with several other states in the south), allowing businesses such as bowling alleys, nail salons, hair salons, and massage parlors to reopen. Some businesses such as restaurants opened as early as yesterday, April 27th, in Georgia, leaving some people feeling optimistic while others felt apprehensive. Once the decision was released to the public early last week, many Georgia residents took to social media to voice their disapproval, saying that it is “too soon” and even suggesting that Kemp was committing genocide.
With people like Trump and Kemp as leaders of the country and the State of George, respectively, it seems that “leadership” is the keyword that is lacking in terms of action and pursuit for the greater good of American citizens. Although most of us can agree that these ridiculous notions to move America forward are no more than a means to put us back on track economically speaking, the fact remains that what’s most important during this pandemic is not being prioritized.
From the very beginning, we’ve seen what’s most important to people not just here in America, but around the world. Toilet paper seemed to be a staple globally as media captured different countries, states, and cities with herds of people clearing out grocery stores' aisles. It was such a seemingly high priority that two women in an Australia supermarket fought over the last pack of toilet paper after a woman and her daughter sought to take several packs for themselves leaving the other woman with none.
See more on this incident here:
The common denominator in all of this is evident by the lack of compassion, empathy, and concern that’s shown to one another, especially during this awful pandemic, also known as selfishness. While COVID-19 is inevitably taking the lives of thousands, I often wonder how all of these actions take precedence over others' consideration of others? Because despite what some conspiracy theorists think, this pandemic is happening and more people are being diagnosed at an alarming rate, which won’t slow down anytime soon as long as you have people like Kemp making inconsiderate choices that have dire consequences.
Selfishness has always been a human flaw, one that I believe is an innate ability that an individual doesn’t have to try to accomplish. That is why when you begin the introduction to your initial social environment in preschool or kindergarten, you undoubtedly were taught by a teacher, parent/guardian or another authoritative figure on selflessness. The term ‘selflessness’ perhaps might’ve been foreign at such a young age, but the concept was taught to us by the mantra “caring is sharing”.
Why was this important? Because it taught us to care about someone other than ourselves. In those days caring for another individual might’ve been something as simple as sharing your extra juice box with a classmate who forgot their lunch, or sacrificing part of your time to play with a doll so that your friend could play with it as well.
Children will one day become adults that reside in the same world that we dwell. If they aren’t continuously taught selflessness, it becomes much harder to break as an adult because they won’t recognize that character flaw and how it affects the world and the people in it. Consequently, Trump, who continues to rally off opinions over facts, and sarcasm over earnestness is a perfect illustration of an entitled, privileged, narcissistic, selfish individual who cares more about being seen and pardoned for senseless acts rather than caring about Americans who are being affected by this pandemic.
You also have people like Kemp who care more about the opinions of conspiracy theorists who are pressuring the government to reopen businesses as well as those who are currently unemployed. No one is negating the importance of working, because we all need to make a living to survive. However, when you don’t plan accordingly and act irrationally, you are doing far more harm than good to everyone, including protestors (because despite what they might think, they are not invincible). The reason why those as mentioned above are selfish is that the decisions are based on the “what” and not the “who”. If the economy is more important than the lives of humanity, you haven’t thought about the resolution long enough.
Although people need to work, we also need an appropriate plan of action that benefits everyone. It’s great that businesses are trying to figure out how to practice social distancing while serving their customers, but the fact remains that it’s still a risk. It defeats the purpose of having the business open if you don’t have consumers who are willing to come into the business for fear of risking their lives (not to mention the potential liability that comes along with that risk). Regardless, I’m grateful that most businesses in Georgia are taking this into account and not moving erratically to reopen despite the Governor’s poor choice.
Overall, the most important thing that anyone can do while we figure this out is to ensure the safety of others by implementing the procedures that have been put into place. Wash your hands consistently, wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from others and most importantly stay home, unless it’s necessary. Be grateful and thank the nurses and doctors who are working endlessly to save lives of coronavirus patients. And if you know a nurse or doctor personally, check on them to make sure they’re okay. If you go to the grocery store, please be considerate of those who need essentials like eggs, toilet paper, etc. Also, make sure you are following the rules at your local stores who have markers on the floor to show you where to stand while you’re in line. If you can, donate money to companies who are doing food care packages for patients and medical staff. These are the ways that we can serve and be more selfless rather than selfish during this pandemic. You don’t have to make big gestures to make a difference in your community. You just have to be willing to think of someone else other than yourself. Because when you do that, someone will have no choice but to think about you too.
