A matter of perspective

So, the national lockdown just got extended for another three weeks. In addition, the national death toll is now above 15,000, the global death toll is above 160,000 and the end is still nowhere to be seen. It looks like this pandemic will continue to get worse before it gets better and we've still got some weeks to go before we can go meet our friends.

Also I really need a haircut right now.

Things are looking pretty bleak.

But I think there's an angle here that we're missing. Looking at the numbers and reading the news is depressing. But looking at the news has always been depressing, it was depressing before the pandemic and it'll continue to be depressing after the pandemic. I don't go to the media expecting good news; I can't remember the last time I heard any good news from them. Reading the news now is no less depressing than reading the news on any other day, the only difference is now the current situation means I'm actually paying a lot more attention to the news than I did before.

If you have a tendency towards feelings of low mood then chances are you've already learnt to avoid paying too much attention to the news. It's tempting to see this as hiding from the truth, that reality is so grim and the only way to stay happy is to cover your ears and close your eyes to everything that's going on.

I disagree.

It's easy to get stuck in a vicious cycle of pessimism. Once you pay too much attention to the darkness it has a tendency to colour everything black. In that mindset the most grim conclusion always seems like the most realistic one even if that's not necessarily the case. Needless to say... this kind of attitude is unhealthy, but I think it's also unrealistic. Even if you don't believe it, telling yourself that everything is going to be ok is probably one of the best lies you can tell yourself, but I don't even believe that it's a lie, I just think it's a matter of perspective.

A few days ago I heard about a YouGov poll which found that only 9% of Britons want life to return to "normal" once the lockdown is over. The ones who didn't want life to return to normal said so because they noticed changes the pandemic brought such as cleaner air, more wildlife and a stronger sense of community where they live. So maybe there is a silver lining here. We've all seen the before and after pictures from the waters in Venice.

People are noticing the difference, so maybe this whole crisis has given us a chance to turn the spotlight on some ugly issues. I think we're all more acutely aware about the destitute state of the NHS right now. Furthermore, there's long been a conservation issue with endangered species being sold and eaten in certain parts of the world. With the claims that this pandemic may have originated from bats or pangolins being sold in Chinese markets, perhaps this long standing issue may finally get the attention it deserves.

However, the good stuff here extends beyond just global issues. The poll also mentioned that many of the respondents found that they were spending more time catching up with friends and family and spending less money overall, something which I can personally say I've noticed as well. There's also been an increased interest in home workouts and self education. So, between nominating each other to neck down pints on Instagram, we've sometimes been using the lockdown time to build more positive habits.

So in the face of all this catastrophe, isn't it worth occasionally looking at the good stuff?

The news will always be there for you in case you need a reminder of how shit the world can be sometimes, but instead of getting wrapped up in the bleakness of everything we could also take some time to be optimistic.

Like I said before, you may just see it as a convenient lie to tell yourself that everything will be fine, but equally it's an inconvenient lie to tell yourself that everything is as bleak as possible.

"The Optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true"
- James Branch Cabell