Lessons from the Pandemic

 

Garden Party

But it's all right now,
 I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone,
So ya got to please yourself.

Have we learned our lesson from the pandemic?

In previous blog postings, I proposed that human behavior can be defined by four attributes:

·       Rights vs. Duty: User Optimal solutions or System Optimal solutions

·       Nature vs. Nurture: Exclusive societies or Inclusive societies

·       Reality vs. Fantasy:  Facts or Alternate Facts

·       Private Property vs. Public Property: Ownership in common or by the public as sovereign.

After over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic it is possible to view how the natural world views these attributes.

Nature seems to favor System Optimal solutions.  Those who cared only for themselves fared poorly against the Virus, while those who were cared by others, typically against the best interests of those others, succeeded.

Nature seems to favor Inclusive societies.  The Virus did not seem to care about the wealth or status of its victims.  Presidents and paupers were all victims of COVID. You might be able to exclude members from your society, but you could not exclude the Virus.

Nature seems to favor facts. The Virus did not go away because anyone said that it did not exist.

Nature seems to favor no Ownership of Property . The Virus could be contracted on both public and private property.  The most successful societies were those who controlled how public property could be used. Social distancing; bans on non-essential usage; mask wearing; vaccination; etc. were required to use public property to prevent contracting, and/or spreading, the Virus.  Those who did not agree with these restrictions, could not use public property merely because they thought that they were co-owners of that public property.

In addition to nature's position of these behaviors. it is also worth noting that nature has also favored resiliency over efficiency.  The most efficient supply chains that depended on links that were no longer available were broken during the pandemic.  Those supply chains that had multiple, if less efficient, links were successful.

People whose basic needs for shelter, food, health care, etc. were able to protect themselves and others from the Virus.  Those who did not, continued to risk exposure to the Virus, despite the risk to themselves and others.

Let us remember the lessons of the pandemic, because it would please me if we never have to repeat the pandemic.