May 19, 2020
Get Over It!
Timothy Birdnow
Our friend Jassy May directs our attention to an old Eessay written by the great C.S. Lewis.
Here is where Lewis encapsulated our modern arrogance "In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation" That is exactly what we have done with this virus (and a host of other things.) People in the modern era live in an age so wealthy, so ordered and prosperous that they have to seek out hardships for themselves. Baby Boomers knew they weren't the men their fathers were, so invented horrors they could suffer through (like the Vietnam War, which was hardly WWII) and the Millenials now have COVID 19. In the end this is no worse than any other pandemic but the way we are responding to it bespeaks a very different mindset, one where the populace is conflating something into an apocalyptical disaster. That way they can claim they really did suffer like those who were so unfortunate in history. But it's largely a thing of the mind; it's a fantasy of experiencing titanic world events when all you are experiencing is a rather nasty flu bug.
As Lewis points out, we have things the people of old did not - like anesthesia or other medications. And what we face isn't any worse than what our ancestors faced; Viking raiders, the Black Death, Genghis Khan, Muslim enslavement, etc.
So, basically, his advice is GET OVER IT. I concur.
Our friend Jassy May directs our attention to an old Eessay written by the great C.S. Lewis.
Here is where Lewis encapsulated our modern arrogance "In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation" That is exactly what we have done with this virus (and a host of other things.) People in the modern era live in an age so wealthy, so ordered and prosperous that they have to seek out hardships for themselves. Baby Boomers knew they weren't the men their fathers were, so invented horrors they could suffer through (like the Vietnam War, which was hardly WWII) and the Millenials now have COVID 19. In the end this is no worse than any other pandemic but the way we are responding to it bespeaks a very different mindset, one where the populace is conflating something into an apocalyptical disaster. That way they can claim they really did suffer like those who were so unfortunate in history. But it's largely a thing of the mind; it's a fantasy of experiencing titanic world events when all you are experiencing is a rather nasty flu bug.
As Lewis points out, we have things the people of old did not - like anesthesia or other medications. And what we face isn't any worse than what our ancestors faced; Viking raiders, the Black Death, Genghis Khan, Muslim enslavement, etc.
So, basically, his advice is GET OVER IT. I concur.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
07:02 AM
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Yes, we have things that earlier generations did not; antibiotics and other medical provisions to name but one. But they had things which we did not; courage, integrity, self reliance, honor, community, and family. "We are not the men our fathers were."
Posted by: Bill H at May 19, 2020 07:56 AM (vMiSr)
2
A hearty amen to that, Bill!
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at May 20, 2020 06:38 AM (F0qlI)
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