The life we see outside the window is a reflection of our connection with each other. Violent demonstrations in American cities and a new wave of coronavirus around the world are first and foremost social problems. We could solve them both if we only agreed to change our attitude to one another.
The coronavirus has shown us that we are all dependent on each other since we are responsible for each other’s health. But if we want this mutual responsibility to keep us healthy, we shouldn’t think about our own health, but about the health of others. Only if we exert to keep everyone else healthy, we will guarantee our own health, since no one around us will be sick.
Currently, we wear masks because we don’t want to catch the virus from others in our area. This is the natural, egoistic thought. But this kind of thinking doesn’t stop the spread of the virus since many people aren’t afraid of it; they feel strong and healthy and don’t mind walking around without a mask, when in fact they could be asymptomatic carriers who could infect others. We have to reverse our thinking and wear masks not to protect ourselves, but to avoid passing the virus to others.
In this way, the coronavirus will lead us to change our attitude toward others. It will not disappear until we do this.
The coronavirus has taught us that we are living in an integral world where you can be healthy only under the condition of mutual responsibility. If we develop mutual responsibility, we will not need the government to impose any rules and regulations; our own feelings will indicate to us what we should or should not do. COVID-19 has started to change our mindset toward others, and it will not leave until we complete the process and shift our thoughts completely from a self-serving mindset to thinking only about others. At first, it will be only in order to keep myself healthy, but gradually, the habit of putting everyone else before ourselves will become our second nature, and then we will defeat the virus and it will disappear.