The Communal Nature of Healing
A different approach to an old problem.
Here’s the scenario: you’re stopped at a red light. It turns green. Before you accelerate, a car rushes through the intersection to beat the red—a feat they did not accomplish. Fortunately, no one’s hurt. The question: How do you feel about the driver?
An overwhelming number of American drivers share a sentiment: What a jerk. They’re selfish. Don’t they care about my safety? And so on.
Japanese drivers had a different response: If they’re driving that fast, there must be an emergency. I hope they’re okay.
Conspirituality Podcast was featured on an online summit this evening. After our talk, the (Zoom) floor opened up for questions. One jumped out: I don’t think the issue is about masks, it’s about personal freedom.
Not quite a question, but a moment for reflection. I shared the driver story above, adding that citizens of a number of Asian countries wear masks whenever they’re sick out of respect for other people. There’s no question of sovereignty. There’s only concern.
The light in one person is reflected in the other, or something like that.
Collectivist cultures suffer fewer issues with anxiety and depression. Citizens rank higher on happiness charts. No culture is perfect, of course. But when your impulse is to regard the health of others, you adopt a different mindset about health in general. You understand that healthy cultures recognize that healing is communal. And you certainly don’t get so self-involved, or self-righteous.
On Conspirituality 19, Matthew interviews Mike Rains, the moderator of the subreddit, QAnonCasulties. It’s a place for people to grieve over friends and family members they’ve lost due to QAnon. So much of the media focus tends to be on the spectacle of it, and that makes sense: the conspiracy theory is truly absurd, and reveals a deep problem in our collective mental health.
It’s easy to overlook the suffering that people are enduring while staring at the bright shiny thing. The interview offers insight into how people are, and sometimes aren’t, managing the situation.
Sometimes the driver really is an asshole. And sometimes, there’s an emergency. As I quote in today’s episode, you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall back on your training. When that car speeds by, you don’t know what’s going on inside.
Don’t always choose the reflex response. The health of our society depends on it.
And don’t miss Julian’s segment on the history of our podcast, so far. He weaves a beautiful story.