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The coronavirus is creating a "shadow" mental illness pandemic

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sKePTiKal:
Here's a tangentially relevant article that makes a point worth thinking about. It's discussing social science phenomena surrounding belief, prophecy, and cult mentalities. After reading it, I'm pondering - simply because the confirmation bias spoken of here, affects everyone and before I opine, I'd like to challenge my own assumptions first.

Consider this a devil's advocate point of view - and I for one, don't just accept his theory as "fact" - but am willing to consider and observe for myself and think about this.

https://www.hughwillbourn.com/post/cc-no-2-covid-brexit-and-flying-saucers

Hopalong:
Thanks, Amber. I read it and also followed one of the links to Regnery, which stopped me in my tracks. That's a right-wing publishing house that's way too far out of my bubble. Believe it or not, at one point out of desperation, I ghost-edited an awful novel that blamed the AIDS epidemic on a political conspiracy, for a wacko man I met through a friend. He wound up spouting the theory on the TODAY show.

I think the primary article raises questions I'd like to ponder though. My father was an environmental scientist (geographer with a focus on political/economic geography) and deniers tend to focus on narrow slices of data in terms of time. I'll never be able to grasp it all, so again, am brought back around to trusting in the sciences and those who appear to be qualified and experienced enough to interpret them responsibly for citizens.

One major point for me regarding his rebuttal of various "beliefs" is that he is a sole author with a blog. Since the vast majority of reputable scientists around the world agree unequivocally about the urgent threat of climate change, though I appreciate the thinking his article stimulates, I can't jettison my trust in those who conclude that melting snowcaps and glaciers and unprecedented climate events (again, over a meaningful time span) are truthfully indicating deep peril for coming human generations if we don't attack it fast. Or, we can just not care and figure all resources are ours to dominate rather than steward, and "necessary" materialism and pollution means famines and resource wars are just for a NIMBY state of mind.

I think all the stuff I fixate about is linked: our immoral treatment of the most vulnerable, kids in cages, the elderly, unprecedented species loss, mindless development, climate injustice (racial/economic health disparities, food deserts), on and on. All of it adds up to the "side" I fall on. But it's still important that I listen respectfully to other points of view and love people who think differently than I do.

Thanks for the thinking!
Hugs
Hops

sKePTiKal:
I believe that's a personal webpage; and his name Hugh Willbourn is at the top of the article.

He's talking about group behaviors. I'm just saying it's worth thinking about, in these days when there seems to be so much persuasion to believe the same as a large group of people do; and social punishment (a la "shunning" and ostracization) if you do NOT follow along with those beliefs.

Society, in general, used to be a lot more "Live & Let Live" and "Different strokes for different folks" and we appreciated the differences... but now, it feels very much that social "approval" - based on a set of ideas - is much more interested in persuading people to "pick sides" and choose a set of beliefs without really THINKING about if they agree with them or not. Much less WHY they agree and whether/what those beliefs are based on are valid, or valuable.

I do appreciate that we can discuss these types of things here - and HEAR each other. People believing different things than I do are not a threat to me. Collective brain power always comes up with deep insights that one person thinking alone.

The same thing is happening with how people are relating to the virus. It's certainly not helping that there is disagreement  among the "experts" over the basic information about it. Infectiousness seems fairly settled; most people agree it's highly infectious. But there - much of the information we see/hear about it diverges more into "belief" that actual data.  Few people realize that we're too early in investigating the new virus - that we just don't have that much "hard, reproducible" data yet.

I'm just so sick & tired of everything in life being reduced to this "us & them" duality of "beliefs". And then the hostilities & conflicts & flat out abuse of others because they believe differently.

pS - I really appreciate the distinction you drew between "dominate" and "stewardship" Hops. It's that kind of subtlety that gets lost outside of real discussion and conversation, sadly. And I happen to be - along with all the other things I am which may not be welcome in that bigger bubble - a big believer in the value of stewardship.

Hopalong:
Hear, hear.

It's people like you, even though we sometimes have different angles or takes on various things, who give me hope about the big Us/Them getting softened in time.

I sure as heck hope so.

And I see you as a steward, too.

So glad to be here...and back to Doc G's point -- please know, good doc, that for a tiny tribe of Amazons, I think this forum is a HUGE factor in maintaining mental health (or at least mitigating the occasional slide).

Thank you, thank you.

Hops

Dr. Richard Grossman:
Thanks, Tupp, Amber, Hops and CB for your thoughts and comments!  As I’ve written, there is an “epidemic” of loneliness/aloneness in the world, and the coronavirus pandemic has added dramatically to these feelings.  I have always hoped that this message board would provide some relief from this omnipresent sense of aloneness, especially in extraordinary times like these.  In a sense, each of you has become a therapist to others here, and I so appreciate the important role you have played in other members’ lives for all these years.

Virtual hugs—and thanks—to all of you,

Richard

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