It’s human nature. We will react. When rumours spread (of dire consequences), we will go for the lowest evolutionary fruit: Fight, Flight, Food, and F...(sex). It’s just a matter of degree.
The recent empty shelves are just part of what can be expected of this epidemic. In fact, a cargo driver, 33, who was shopping, said: “It has never been this crowded. I bought a lot of processed meat since all the fresh meat has already run out.”
An insurance agent, 29, who was at Sheng Siong Supermarket with his wife, said: “Since everyone is stocking up, we’re also doing the same but just buying a little more for standby. Nothing too crazy.”
Panic begets panic. I get it. People return to their foetal state when fear takes over.
When cornered, they FIGHT. When panic strikes, they hoard FOOD and take FLIGHT. And pictures of emptied shelves of branded contraceptives can only mean that, well, safe SEX is not too far from buyers’ mind in their rush to stock up.
The good news is that the hoarding or run on supermarkets appears to have calmed down, at least for now, in the face of about 40,000 infected and 905 deaths worldwide. And worryingly, epidemiologists and governments still have no concrete clue how to put a stop to the virus spread.
Surely, as things develop, there is some cause for nervous reaction. And when The Life Church and Missions Singapore was unfortunately struck with two possible cases out of five, Rev Choo said what comes most naturally: -
“Those being shunned have to understand it is normal human reaction...and not take the perceived rejection too much to heart.”
So, let me just say that hoarding is not a socially responsible thing to do, but it is nevertheless a reflex response arising from our human nature. We can therefore expect some frantic (or even casual) shoppers to resort to it at such time of uncertainty.
Sure, we should also take the necessary precautions on reports of cluster areas where the infection took place. For this reason, Rev Choo’s warning should be heeded, that is, when he said that his members may be shunned “following news of the church being identified as a possible infection cluster.”
But, when the worst of times come, and should it ever come, I pray that humanity will rise above our nature, that is, our evolutionary defence mechanism of Fight, Flight, Food and Sex, because we are living in a more informed, developed, connected, rational and enlightened world.
Our advance in civilisation should not only be one where we become smarter with technology, but also warmer in humanity. By this, I mean we ought to break away from our default positions to play identity politics or take refuge in tribalism. Instead, we ought to join hearts and hands together and fight against our common enemy, that is, the disease or infection, not the innocent hosts it ravages.
I say this because I agree with what Professor Farish A. Noor said, (when he quoted Susan Sontag) - “when a disease - any disease, from the common cold to cancer - manifests itself and spreads in any society, it immediately assumes a social identity and consequently becomes something more than a disease.”
“Diseases can and often do take on other social meanings as well, in the way that cancer was once seen as a curse or infliction, something to be ashamed of and not to be discussed openly.”
What’s more, some diseases are seen as markers of social status, that is, as afflicting only the poor and deprived socioeconomic class and this inevitably divides society between the rich and poor. And other infections like Ebola was, and may still be, seen as an African disease.
How about Sars and Coronavirus? Isn’t the spread that it is a Chinese disease from “dirty Asians” more virulent than the disease itself? And I think the convenient social label or stigma accorded to Mers (Middle East respiratory syndrome) provide sufficient info on where it originates and the nationality it plagues.
So, are we fighting together against a common enemy or are we dividing people into different classes of enemies to be targeted for extreme prejudice?
Journalist Ms Iris Zhao wrote a report today entitled “Australia’s Chinese, Asian communities targets of racism.”
Iris wrote that while she was in a supermarket, a middle-aged woman walked past her and said: “Asians...stay home...stop spread the virus.”
“One (friend) recounted how a waiter had dumped change at his table before quickly walking away after my friend paid cash for a meal at a Melbourne restaurant.”
“Another, who wore a mask as a precaution at a shopping mall on Friday, had three teenagers tell her: “See you! Go and catch coronavirus.””
A researcher at Australian National University, Ms Yun Jiang, said: “So now, people who perhaps have existing prejudice suddenly have an excuse to act out with racist behaviour and remarks.”
Lesson? Well, what lesson is there if we as a human race become no different from the feral animals in the wild who live and survive only on their most basic instincts.
Mind you, what ought to distinguish us is not how smart we are, how well off we are, how popular we are, or how holy we are. For, if by being smarter, more well off, more popular and holier, we can’t see beyond the disease or infection and instead resort to heuristic rule-of-thumb to pigeon-hole people into stigmatised categories so as to advance our own selfish ends, we are no different from the predatory beasts in the wild.
In other words, we are no more than wolves in silken or velvety clothings, waiting for a crunch like this to show our true hissing colours.
Let me end with these words from The Life Church.
“On the other hand, while the fear is real, we also need to be objective and aware that since the symptoms of this virus are similar to the common flu, we should try not to overreact when someone displays certain symptoms.”
“The values of Christianity include those of love, service and acceptance - these are the virtues which are much needed during times like this.”
Indeed they are, and we need to demonstrate them more than ever.
And if you want to catch a priceless glimpse of such virtues shining brightly in a world threatening to close up and care only for their own skin, take a walk to any nearby hospital and clinic and be inspired by the selfless sacrifices our medical frontliners have made without rest, and for some, without break.
Alas, my point is that in every crisis you will see the best and worst in humanity. The prevailing hope is to never lose sight of the best of us, that is, the torchbearers, who shine in the darkness of every human heart to bring out the most resilient, most empowering and most inspiring part of us to overcome whatever crisis we are confronting.
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