Re: Pandemic Ethics
Originally Posted by
guido
Cases are out of control because everyone thinks their actions will have no effect, but everyone's actions are the collective action. And that is going the wrong way...
From climate change to pandemics, we humans are not good at extrapolating the impact of daily local decisions on global outcomes. Most don't even think about it. I (un)fortunately am grounded in systems-thinking and can't not see it. It started early too - I remember a book I had around age five that tried to teach the lesson of "what if everyone threw their sucker stick on the ground" - stock/flow lessons at a young age.
My parents live 3.5 miles away. Because I can not trust that they are distancing appropriately (at the same level my wife and I are) we can't have a #quaranteam . So I have only seen them for short periods - with masks on, sitting in the backyard, 15 feet away - no touching, no bathrooms, no drinks. It's not ideal. There is loss.
At least in this modern era we have face-time, cell phones - and a reasonable expectation that in a year or two, things will improve. Historically, people have dealt with much worse.
Ultimately it is up to you to decide your risk tolerance and what feels right.
The fact that you are even asking the question shows a level of empathy and responsibility that most seem not to possess in this country. So chapeau for that.
Dan in Oregon
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The wheel is round. The hill lasts as long as it lasts. That's a fact. Everything else is pure theory.
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