SITTING down to write this on the brink of a new year, I feel a rush of emotion. What a year 2020 has been, unexpected and challenging. It has stretched all of us in many ways and revealed to us just how fragile we really are.
We are living in a paradoxical world, a society that’s woke yet more unsettled than ever before. We crave truth yet reject its bitter taste, slowly curating our own bubbles of reality in which we cannot separate fact from fiction. If we’re not careful, we may find ourselves digging a pit we can’t climb out of.
The ongoing controversy over Covid-19 and its vaccine is a fine example. While many believe it is the much-needed hope of regaining our pre-pandemic way of life, a growing minority are of the opinion that we’re being fed a bunch of lies as powerful figures plan for world domination.
With algorithms feeding us more of what we want rather than what we need for a balanced perspective on issues we care about, we can get lost in a sea of extreme emotions.
Getting emotional is a tricky thing; we can quickly lose a sense of objectivity, feel attacked and in so doing, push others away. Just scroll through any comments section on vaccine news online and you’ll be able to feel the friction. Voices of reason are quickly drowned out as people set out to prove that they are right.
And so, as birds of a feather flock together, we are in danger of forming collective bubbles in which we hear and see only what we want. We become friends with those who have opinions similar to ours, shunning those who are different from us.
What we are building is an altered reality, one where we believe that those who think differently from us only want to cause harm. We find it difficult to trust those who have opinions we don’t necessarily want to hear, and because we can’t see the plank in our own eyes, we attack the speck in theirs.
If I’m being honest, I do not know enough about the vaccine and world affairs to tell you definitively that one side is right and the other wrong. However, I have researched as best I can, listening to both sides of the argument and considering the evidence presented.
At the end of the day, however, my decision came down to an examination of my own beliefs and behaviour. I have enjoyed the benefits of scientific and medical advancement throughout my life. The childhood vaccinations I was given have protected me from the graver effects of contracting some of these diseases in adulthood.
To believe in the theory that the severity of the virus has been overhyped and that it is all part of a bigger plan for widespread control by a powerful few would mean that I no longer trust the general scientific community.
But I do trust doctors, researchers, microbiologists, virologists and the vast number who have contributed to the advancement of medicine throughout history. That’s why I visit a clinic when I’m unwell, or take paracetamol when I’m running a fever.
From a logical perspective, it would therefore only be right for me to trust the general consensus that the vaccine is safe for use and will help many, especially vulnerable groups or those with pre-existing conditions.
Your opinion may differ from mine, but I respect that. We can live with different viewpoints as long as we are willing to acknowledge, listen and evolve as we learn and grow. It is only in an open and safe space that we can tackle issues objectively, and work together for something better.
Bouncing back from this pandemic requires more than physical health. We need inner strength, and that comes from a willingness to learn and grow, as well as the assurance that we will always be heard, valued and respected.
As we step into a new year and attempt to make up for time lost in 2020, let’s make it a practice to examine ourselves with humility, and welcome differences as an opportunity for growth.
Let’s question but lend room for trust, and listen for the bells of hope ringing as we enter 2021.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
