Outrage escalates in proportion to our exposure to extreme events. It manifests as an overt and generally public verbal communication that distances us from an event, from an act or from a decision. It is vented in an effort to address a social or political injustice and can be an attempt to align publicly with what is perceived as right, thereby distancing us from what is perceived as wrong. It often lashes forth towards the alleged offender as a displaced expression of frustration, fear, overwhelm and helplessness. In an increasingly obscure and fragmented world, it can be a means to hang on tightly to our sense of self.
The propensity for public outrage increases in line with escalating exposure to excessive amounts of information and knowledge. In other words, the more we learn and understand about society, politics and global issues, the greater the propensity for frustration when solutions and policies appear slow to be implemented.
Day by day, hour by hour we have at our fingertips information about COVID-19 in every country, the rates of infection, the active cases, the mortality rates, the recovery rates and live updates are streamed to us via apps. We read about the different approaches different countries are taking and we examine the impact and compare it to ours.
We see New Zealand almost eliminate the virus and we spin around accusingly on social media looking at our government. We wonder why a nation that resembles ours in population has managed to do this so swiftly; we compare notes, and we come in looking feeble against certain criteria. We left our borders open. They locked them upon sight of the virus. But we are not comparing with like with like. New Zealand has a land mass of 267,710km2, Ireland’s surface area stands at 70,280km2 and there are 18 people per km2 in NZ compared to 72 people per km2 in Ireland. Jacinda Ardern certainly took an exceptional course of action that worked for them and it is to be applauded. But there are different variables at play.
At the time of writing, it’s been over four weeks since the lockdown in Ireland was announced on March 27th and six weeks since we have been social distancing. There is a notable shift in the air. There is a restlessness now. We did as we were advised, and most of us stayed home; we were in it together and that helped us to feel stoic. Our government addressed us, guided us, showed empathy for our collective plight, and even rolled up their sleeves to do what they could on the ground. But as the cases rise, as the uncertainty continues, and as we observe latency in promised testing rates – we are beginning to question efficacy of the decisions being made.
We look at decisions such as not to close borders, the decision now in the coming days not to ease restrictions and the lack of direction about the collective wearing of masks, something that is happening in a lot of other countries. We are all anxiously wondering, what does it mean for us and what does it mean for our lives, not to mention the now brittle economy? Where are we going from here?
This is the point where patience is beginning to fray and irritation at restrictions perceived as being flouted by some are beginning to scratch at our skin. Social media thrives off exploiting an ‘us versus them’ mentality, but a gentle reminder – this is not the time to turn against our own leaders.
Just for some context – despite months of testing, despite several research papers already published on the virus, on its wildly varying basic RO (from 1.4 to 6.6) and its ability to infect without manifesting symptoms, we still don’t really have a handle on what we are dealing with.
We are juggling two massive things – a viral pandemic, and an economy that is declining faster than we can or care to articulate at the moment.
The government and each of us individually, have a ridiculous level of inedible content on our plates.
Whilst they should always be held accountable in their position as a guide to our nation, and whilst it is entirely natural for us to want to regain some normality, some sense of efficacy and some physical connection to our loved ones – watch the tendency to look towards our leaders to save and protect us and getting furious at them when it doesn’t work. Yes they are making decisions and issuing restrictions – but amidst the heights of this utter viral shitshow, it is also each of us, as individuals, that have the responsibility to both protect ourselves and others, and to use our own healthy judgement to do so. In saying that, not all people’s judgements are healthy or based on fact, so there is a necessity for some form of blanket instruction until we know what the hell we’re dealing with, and unfortunately this feels very restrictive for the majority.
Bear in mind that some things will continue to be sacrificed in favour of the protection of other elements. Medical grade face-masks are more necessary for frontline workers when there is a risk of shortage and so we are advised not to wear them if we are healthy. From what Leo Varadker has said about face coverings upon emergence from lockdown, on a recent visit to a testing hub in DCU, perhaps this will change over time, though never at the risk of deprioritising frontline staff.
So in the face of all of this unknowing – what do we do? Until we know more, for your own sake and for that of your mental health – drop the struggle, the judgements and the fury. Continue to align with social distancing, wear masks, use disinfectant, not inside your body, and listen without harsh judgement to how our country and our leaders try to untie this knot we are in. It is easy to think we know better as we sit watching in our living rooms after a day of being flooded with news from across the globe.
On any topic of contention, there will always and forever be people on opposite sides of the coin. And on each of those sides, it will be possible to find arguments and evidence that supports both. There will rarely be agreement on any one correct course of action, and particularly in this instance, because did I mention? We haven’t a clue what we’re dealing with here. It is like doing a jigsaw puzzle in the dark and getting irritated and lashing out when the pieces go in the wrong places.
Listen to inspiring voices, wellness experts, philosophers, artists and intelligent leaders like Jacinda Ardern. Listen less or not at all to others talking out of a place of arrogance. Focus on yourself and on the people you love. Assume the worst-case scenario and be prepared emotionally and socially for that. Be prepared for progress by the end of the summer to be a bonus.
The name of the game for the future in managing both the containment of this virus and our own mental health is balance. We have to take responsibility for ourselves and know that what the government is doing is an attempt to do what they think is right, based on the information that we have. They may not get it right, they may make a mess of parts of it, and infuriate some. And if so, using our collective voice, we have to work alongside it, we need to encourage shifts and alter protocol constructively if we believe it to be better for us as a nation. The government represents the people and we need to trust each other, we need to listen and pivot, to take new improved courses of action – time and time again. Fragmented, socially disintegrating societies cannot effectively create change, and so ultimately, we must unite, speak up as a collective, and hold on to reason and justice in the face of this life-altering year.
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