"This changes everything," people often say in times of crisis. Will it be different this time?
“Perhaps we’ll finally take in what we know but nevertheless manage to put out of our minds: that life is precious and finite, that we cannot know when the end is coming, that what is beautiful and just and true deserves our focus far more than what’s annoying or inconvenient.” https://t.co/R795zO5u0d— Phil Oliver (@OSOPHER) April 13, 2020
I think we often assume that we progress so much in technology, society or otherwise that we assume the next disaster will never be as damaging as the last. It's ironic given that all matter of life evolves, including bacteria and the potential for damages given the amount of newer, less sturdy buildings. Whether it be a plague or natural disaster, I don't think it's possible for us to truly prevent them with the perceived superiority of modern life.
ReplyDeleteNo. But on the other hand, I am grateful for the advances in medical technology that give us a reasonable expectation of lives generally twice as long as those of our ancestors of just a few generations ago. Progress is real, but it comes without a personal guarantee. Life remains fragile, humans remain vulnerable. Finitude's the word.
DeleteI agree, the medical and technological advancements are very real and have changed the way we live our lives in may great ways. I think the thing to remember, and perhaps what went wrong here, is that we aren't invincible to new/old threats. We have no choice but to handle this virus using old strategies, such as quarantine, because we don't have a vaccine. Still, our ability to connect over the internet and keep things partially running is a huge advantage and we wouldn't have had that if it weren't for our advancements.
DeleteI feel that the world is constantly changing, its will never be the same as before. A crisis might jumpstart some aspects, but it doesn't innately change the reality of the world, only our perception of it. After this pandemic we might be more aware of viruses but the nature of all viruses will not change to something that mimics covid, the threat of it will be the same as it always was, natures mechanics dont change because humans when through a crisis.
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