Positive Mimesis – The Salvation From COVID-19

Admittedly, the coronavirus crisis has brought out some of the worst in us.

Chaos at supermarkets! Fighting over each other for toilet paper! Reporting of neighbors to the authorities upon failure to abide by curfew laws. Threat of imprisonment upon non-violent offenders of the law.

We also notice this frenzied behavior in the political sphere where the two parties continue to demonize each other and nation-states blame other nation-states for allowing the virus to spread.

Anyone with any hint of common sense should by now realize that shifting the blame on others has never led to real, lasting solutions.

What then can save us from this crisis? The answer isn’t the state system or big corporate initiatives.

Look elsewhere!

The answer has everything to do with imitating good role models.

In this time of increased isolation when we tend to see the ugly side of humanity, we need to look to our neighbors, particularly those who are now spending more time caring for their families and those who are helping strangers in even the smallest of things such as helping the elderly with the groceries and delivering food to the homes of the disabled.

And then some think out of the box and innovate such as Jeff Ebin who developed cheap $100 makeshift ventilators to treat COVID19 patients. (Listen to David Gornoski’s interview with Jeff Ebin by clicking here)

When we see the state of the world today in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, there’s a lot we can learn and unlearn. One thing we can certainly learn is that self-sacrifice, as exemplified by Jesus’ life, and our desire to voluntarily help our neighbor is the only way forward.

Leave aside self-centeredness. Reject authoritarian solutions. Look to those working in the shadows of the meat-grinders. Look to the unsung heroes in the field of science and technology. Imitation is the key!