Mar
15
My Theory, from anonymous
March 15, 2020 |
My own personal theory is that people (on both sides) were so tired of all the idiotic political bickering, divisions and stupid name calling, they were ready to embrace something, anything, that would unite us and make us feel like a country again.
Heading right into what promised to be the worst election campaign season ever for stupid political bickering, childish name calling and personal attacks, coronavirus popped up as that opportunity.
So people embraced it!
And everyone is relieved to find that we can actually still be a unified nation working together again. We all needed to know that. (The same dynamic exists in most other countries with the rise of populism etc.)
Why wouldn't they embrace the corona unifier?
Is there anyone on either side who is not tired of the political bickering, petty name calling and nasty personal attacks (including on this board and in the fake krs) and hungry for a way out of it?
On the irrationality of the Coronavirus Mass Mania:
It is obviously an irrational mass mania on the surface to anyone who has studied manias. Just looking at people's behavior (selling stocks down like crazy, hoarding toilet paper), and given that the virus is not that much more lethal or transmissible than the normal seasonal flu viruses, if not less so.
1. The brain is designed to shut down in times of perceived external threat to promote herd behavior for better potential survival. Mass manias take away the capacity to think.
2. Health manias are always way worse than wealth manias, since health is ultimately more important than wealth, and not everyone has wealth (so not everyone can participate in wealth manias).
But also, these obvious points on corona mass mania irrationality:
* People lament the lack of tests, oh this is so horrible! But in the very next breath they cite very scary numbers on R naught, and lethality.
They can't both be true!!! If you don't know how many people have it, you cannot possibly know R0 or lethality. Stop doing this!
* People say oh how horrible the end of flu season won't bring respite because look, people in warm weather Singapore got it! (or chose your warm country)
Without bothering to understand that warm weather regions have their flu seasons too based on changes in temperate and changes in humidity. And without bothering to notice that Singapore was until a week ago in its flu season! Totally irrational and nonsensical thought patterns.
* People say coronavirus is scary because it is new and we know nothing about it. Then they say it is scary because it is highly contagious. They can't both be true! Get a grip!
At least be internally consistent with your logic.
* People say a big risk is that viruses mutate. Of course they do, but why assume it will mutate for the worse? In fact, new C19 strains have been found which are far less lethal, not more.
People cite the Spanish flu as relevant, without bothering to notice we did not have antibiotics back then. That matters because secondary bacterial infection in the lungs is often what kills virus victims. Did you know that the Spanish flu is one of the seasonal flu viruses that regularly circulates today? That's scary!!! Or is it?! Did you even know this, while you were citing the historical example of the Spanish flu as a reason to be scared merde-less?
It is also interesting to note that virtually all the groups being alarmist have a personal interest in doing so.
* Health care system managers, because they see a potential onslaught of patients overwhelming the number of ventilators etc. and exposing their poor foresight and lousy management skills, so they want to bend the curve. This is understandable. It is now evident they are way overpaid, and they are heading for cover.
* Medical researchers are alarmist because they are trying to attract funding for their pet projects. (see shameless funding request advertisement in the middle of the Attia podcast today). This is shameful!!!
* The media are alarmist because it generates ad revenue. Also shameful.
* Negative Eeyores and worry warts want other people to be negative and worried because miserable people naturally repel most people so they try to bait social company with extra doses of misery to capture attention, and because miserable people love miserable company!!!
Everyone just calm the f down!!!
Go smoke a joint! Drink your whiskey! Pray to your imaginary man in the sky! Meditate! Go work out!
Whatever it is you do to calm your nerves go do it now!!! And turn the media off!!!! Especially twitter!
Comments
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