I’m not an expert, so you can ignore everything below this line.
In my uneducated, amateur, and naive opinion, my thoughtfulness isn’t keeping people from suffering! I sincerely hope I’m just ignorant. I truly want to believe the people telling me that “caring about people” is noble work.
The last couple of weeks I’ve been bombarded with comments like this one:
Is my only concern for myself? Am I really okay with passing germs to someone else and they die? Those are good questions. They deserve a thoughtful answer.
“No.”
My only concern is not for myself. I’m concerned about everyone who gets sick for any reason. I’m also concerned about everyone who is healthy and now unemployed. I’m concerned about the tidal wave of human suffering in families who have contracted COVID-19 as well as those who have not.
Now that I’ve answered your question, another question pops into my head. How much relief has anyone felt because of my “concern?”
“None.”
- My concern didn’t cure any diseases.
- My concern didn’t prevent any infections.
- My concern didn’t prolong any lives.
- My concern didn’t diminish any fears.
- My concern didn’t raise any hopes.
- My concern DIDN’T REDUCE ANY SUFFERING.
The reason I haven’t dedicated myself to proclaiming my concern on social media is because my concern has done squat. I don’t want to be applauded for my concern. I don’t want my concern celebrated. I don’t want my friends telling me I’m a hero with a gigantic heart and a beautiful soul. Concern is easy. Soooo easy. It is humiliating to be praised for something that requires no effort.
I’ve had more than one person tell me that “essential workers” have saved lives. The efforts of essential personnel have reduced suffering. Those people are correct. Some essential personnel are doing great and important work. I will say two things about that.
First – Concern is not the same as taking action. Some essential personnel are actually doing something. They aren’t spending their days on Facebook telling me how much they care. They aren’t asking me if I’m “okay with” people dying.
Reducing suffering requires taking action. Advertising your own compassion accomplishes nothing. Using hurting people to signal your virtues is a repugnant way to spend your time. You are riding the coat-tails of genuine essential workers and stealing accolades that don’t belong to you.
Second – Concern isn’t limited to a single group. It is possible to be concerned about lots of people at the same time. I can be concerned about myself AND other people simultaneously!
I’m ready to end this quarantine and get things back to normal. That doesn’t mean I have no concern for people getting sick. I can be concerned about the economy AND viral infections AT THE SAME TIME!
I have compassion for people regardless of the specific reasons for their suffering. But, as I’ve already said, my concern doesn’t accomplish anything.
It won’t end anyone’s suffering if I stay home for the rest of my life wearing a mask and posting selfies. And nobody feels better when you ask if I’m “only concerned for my own life.”
In my amateur, naive opinion, my concern is worth nothing. And your ceaseless crowing about your compassion is worth even less.
10 Responses
I agree with you, I get tired of people manipulating others with their “Don’t you care about others?” to get people to stay imprisoned in their homes.
I agree that we can both care about people and want the Economy open and people back to work at the same time. My bigger issue is all this wear a mask to save lives or stay army home and saves lives is based on fear and emotion and not supported by the data. The data says if you are elderly and have a pre existing condition you are at great risk of dying from Covid. So we know who’s at risk and we can quarantine them. If I practice social distancing I am not afraid I will get sick and if I do it’s on me. Plus I can’t control how someone else feels and it’s not my job to control everyone’s feelings. I may feel a completely different way than you do about seeing people in masks and no one seems real concerned with my feelings. Enough of my venting. Oh and by the way Jesus wasn’t at all concerned about your feelings. He hammered the religious leaders over their hypocrisy.
Your wit is surpassed only by your wisdom- and your ability to combine the two AT THE SAME TIME, surpassed only by your unique ability to care for more than one entity, in the same manner
I salute you sir for your concern for essential workers, sick workers and non-essential non-workers alike. Your concern for these people is only matched by your lack of concern for each group in respect to the other groups, thereby doubling the compassion work put forth by you for each of them! You deserve to be applauded and celebrated for your compassion! You are a hero with a gigantic heart and a beautiful soul!! Your concern for these people deserves to be acknowledged and recognized!
God bless you John Branyan, and God Bless America!!!!
“Your concern for these people is only matched by your lack of concern for each group in respect to the other groups…”
Did you miss the part about being able to maintain concern for more than one group at a time?
Troll on, my friend! TROLL ON!
Well, I didn’t think I would ever be considered a troll. That’s an interesting feeling. (Just in case you didn’t pick up, the entire post was sarcasm).
Ha! Fair enough.
I was apparently reading too much into your chosen user name.
We’re not averse to trolls around here. Some of my favorite people occasionally frequent the underside of bridges.
I chose the username to be unique and a comment on the ridiculousness of social media and their preferred method of attacking people. I guess it’s ironic that I have become the thing I’m commenting on. I figured that you might be able to view my account and see my actual name behind my username, but if that’s not the case, then my apologies.
No need for apologies. I misunderstood your original comment. That’s gonna happen when we throw satire around. It will be my turn to confuse you soon enough.
It’s all good.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Long live Poe’s Law.