The coronavirus is affecting everyone. In this short article from the ideaXme Rich Connectedness podcast series, I want to focus on a specific area that is radically affected by the pandemic: CONNECTIONS.
Covid-19 Has Changed Everything
Just a couple of months ago we were all focused on our own lives. The outbreak of Covid-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus has radically changed everything for everyone in a very short-time. Since its first appearance in December 2019 in China, the virus has claimed the lives of more than 30000 people and infected more than half a million worldwide. Researchers around the world are racing to find solutions (i.e. vaccine or therapy). Industry giants have altered the operational lines in hope to fill the medical gap around the world (i.e. making masks and medical protective gears).
Human Connection in a Time of Coronavirus
Many scholars and scientists argue what we are experiencing today is a consequence of living in a highly interconnected world. But I would like to suggest that it is an equal tell-tale sign of our unsustainable connections. The coronavirus is a new disease with no scientific treatment yet to be discovered. As a result, the global health infrastructure is unprepared in response to the outbreak. The backlash of this outbreak will touch every corner of the global community. It’s time to redefine the notion of connections and what it means.
The Need to Redefine Human Connection
Think about a simple glass of water. The water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms and one atom of oxygen. What about humanity? Are we made of molecules of economy or something beyond?
Every day in the midst of the silence of this haunting crisis, I witnessed an array of unfolding events right in front of my eyes: birds singing, trees blossoming, clouds moving. It feels they are not even aware of how it feels to be disconnected from life or to be living in the fear of an uncharted territory called tomorrow.
The Complex Web of Resilient Interconnections That Make up the System of Life
There is an inherent resiliency to the system of life that stems from an incredible complex web of interconnections. Life is resilient. Think of the plants that grew after the Hiroshima nuclear disaster. The coronavirus thrives on attachments not connections. If one entity as small as the coronavirus is capable of shutting down the most powerful countries, organizations and economies, we should ask ourselves how can we counter that by transforming our connections to richer and more meaningful ones not only to our fellow humans but also to entire life.
The coronavirus lockdown is likely to be enforced for another two or three months. This episode is absolutely crucial in shaping the next phase of the crisis response globally. Every one of us therefore is called to be ready. We should translate this readiness beyond social distancing measures or the lockdown. We should step back and use this forced pause as an incubation period:
What are we going to do after the lockdown?
How Can We Make Our Connections Richer and More Resilient?
Life as we used to know won’t come back again, at least in near future. But life as a whole continues to thrive. This is the promise of hope that we need to keep in mind and focus on. The coronavirus is forcing us to re-organize our past connections, eliminate disconnections and forge new trajectories.
We can do this together.
Join us. Move the human story forward!™
Dr. Shima Beigi
Founder of Mindfulness Engineering™
Resilience scientist
Rich Connectedness ambassador
Follow Dr Shima Beigi on:
Instagram @DrShimaBeigi
Twitter: @MindfulnessEngi
References
1.Von Bertalanffy, L. The theory of open systems in physics and biology. Science 111, 23–29 (1950).
1.Holling, C. S. Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual review of ecology and systematics 4, 1–23 (1973).
1.Kupferschmidt, K. ‘A completely new culture of doing research.’ Coronavirus outbreak changes how scientists communicate | Science | AAAS.https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/completely-new-culture-doing-research-coronavirus-outbreak-changes-how-scientists.
1.CohenMar. 11, J., 2020 & Am, 9:50. ‘We’re behind the curve’: U.S. hospitals confront the challenges of large-scale coronavirus testing. Science | AAAS https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/were-behind-curve-us-hospitals-confront-challenges-large-scale-coronavirus-testing (2020).
1.Gilbert, S. F., Sapp, J. & Tauber, A. I. A symbiotic view of life: we have never been individuals. The Quarterly review of biology 87, 325–341 (2012).
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