Jim Murray

3 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~10 ·

Blogging
>
Jim blog
>
Questions

Questions

Nace

Random Ramblings
On The General State
Of The Universe

As we trudge through the long days of the plague that has been unleashed on the world we find ourselves with a lot of time to think.

As a writer, which is something I have been all of my adult life, I tend to make little notes to myself. Things I wonder about. Questions I don;’t have answer to. Wait. Let me rephrase that. questions that I winder why so many people don’t have answers to. Because I have answers to all my questions. I just don’t see a lot of other people coming up with answers of their own.

The biggest question I have at the moment has to do with why everyone walking the earth does not understand how the current pandemic we are living through actually works.

It’s not like it hasn’t been explained scientifically. It’s not like the best ways for everyone to protect themselves and others haven’t been boiled down to several simple things that everyone can do.

It’s not like these things are hard to understand or even impose any sort of hardship on us.

It’s none of the aforementioned. And so what do you conclude when you see people gathering together unmasked in thick crowds? When you see people gathering together to burn masks and protest what they think are draconian government measures to control their lives? When you hear people talking about this entire pandemic that has so far killed 10s of millions of people as a hoax?

If you are cynical like I have been told I am, you write all of this off to a bitches brew of ignorance, laziness, selfishness and stupidity.

This, in turn leads to a number of other questions, the most obvious of all is: How did these people get that way?

The answer is not simple. I personally think that living in a free society has become more and more complex. People don’t have the time or the energy to really think deeply about much of anything these days. So they go to the most convenient sources to get a quick information fix. They go to places like social media. And what do they get there? I maintain that mostly what they get there is confused.

There are so many diametrically opposed opinions there that anything close to an objective reality is almost impossible to ferret out. And if you are not all that bright to start with you end up gravitating to the easiest fix you can find. The one you understand. It’s not a question of right or wrong, or truth or lies. It’s whatever you understand.

The trouble with science is that it’s not simple. It confuses people because they don’t always get what’s being said. They would much rather listen to someone translating it for them, and if that person has a bias, that’s what the people hear.

And once they have made up their minds, they stick to their guns. Because going through the process of trying to understand anything hurts their head. And they certainly don’t want to do it twice.

So if you are one of these simple people and you have been convinced that this entire pandemic is a hoax designed to control your life, it doesn’t matter what any scientist says. You’ve already made up your mind, and anything that contradicts your opinion is nothing but white noise rattling around in your head.

The last question is also a simple one. How long can we expect this to go on?

Well, that is the question isn’t it? The most honest answer is that nobody knows. And nobody knows because nobody knows how long it will take to get everyone immunized. Nobody knows because nobody is sure how many people will continue to refuse to be vaccinated. Nobody knows because as long as there is one person carrying this disease around with them, the world is still in danger.

I wish everybody all the best. I know this has been a very difficult time for millions of people. But I also know that the human race is populated mostly by people who really do understand that this plague is no hoax. And that sooner or later all the strays will be rounded up and vaccinated.

So those are my questions. What are your answers?

80b4b3ce.png
Comments

Jim Murray

3 years ago #2

#1
Thanks for your response, John. I have always seen this as a simple thing, and very much a medical/science issue. What has really caused the big damage is the politicization of this issue, lead by D Trump and followed by most other conservatives. My wife and I are both in his risk groups, (me from my surgery and here being asthmatic) and all we want is for this to be over and have some good lessons learned for the next one.

John Rylance

3 years ago #1

The standard answer is the rhetorical question. How long is a piece of string? In the meantime I will ponder on the image you created of the strays being rounded up and vaccinated, which should mean we would have "herd immunity". One possibility is that to return to normalcy people will need to have the vaccine or at least take precautions like hand sanitising or wearing masks, and social distancing. This last piece i e social distancing brought to mind earlier plagues when crosses were thrust at those who had it or those suffering would move around ringing a bell and saying "unclean" The above are not answers but thoughts, and observations.

Articles from Jim Murray

View blog
8 months ago · 3 min. reading time

If you fancy yourself a writer and cruise around on social media for any length of time, you will in ...

1 year ago · 2 min. reading time

As the 21st century really starts to take hold, one of the most important places where huge differen ...

1 week ago · 3 min. reading time

For the better part of the last decade, I have been on LinkedIn where · I would average close to 350 ...

Related professionals

You may be interested in these jobs

  • Idea Theorem inc.

    bookkeeper

    19 hours ago


    Idea Theorem inc. Toronto, Canada

    Education: · Expérience: · Education · Secondary (high) school graduation certificate · or equivalent experience · Work setting · Private sector · Tasks · Calculate and prepare cheques for payroll · Calculate fixed assets and depreciation · Keep financial records and establish, ...


  • Town of Oakville Oakville, Canada Part time

    Job Responsibilities : Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC) is a unique multi-purpose recreation, arts and culture facility located in Oakville, Ontario. QEPCCC offers many drop-in and registered recreational, cultural and aquatic programs, including a , ...

  • Direct apply

    TriMark People Solutions Inc. Delta, Canada Full time

    We're hiring Motor Coach Operators with outstanding customer service to provide safe and comfortable transportation for passengers within and between cities across Western Canada. From sports teams to school groups to chartered tours, everyday is an adventure Your role will be a ...