What we need is emotional intelligence and empathy for dealing with the pandemic. Perhaps it is a vaccine or something more elusive that will finally put us at ease, but until then our best defense is empathy for dealing with the pandemic.
Most of us have established that our lives may never be same; however, there are those who are living this new reality as if it is just another day, week or year. Most of us watch the news and attempt to establish how we can stay safe and protect our families and interpret the scientific information that is presented. This is a real disease, it has an asymptomatic component that makes it more dangerous. It will be here until we have a vaccine.
New scientific information tells us that wearing a mask protects those we love, family, friends, colleagues, and the strangers we meet in our communities. But who protects us? I ask myself this question everyday when I go to my local lake beach for my reprieve hour for lunch and a house break. No one is wearing a mask. I have mine so I can protect them but there is not a one concerned about protecting me. Why are they not concerned about protecting me?
Why Are They Not Concerned About Protecting Me?
As Andrew Cuomo says in his briefing everyday, this is not a fact and just my opinion. However, it is what I have expected of all the uncaring, narcissistic, self-absorbed people to include those who need instant gratification. They are lacking in emotional intelligence. Evidently, they do not have the skills or behaviors that indicate that they have a well-functioning emotional brain. A brain that considers all the aspects of a situation and makes decisions based on what is needed and required at the time. Clearly, they are unable to put aside their own needs and desires. Children learn the same kind of behaviors from the adults who raise them.
Meeting others for the first time, we rarely can assess if they have emotional intelligence just like we do not know if they have Covid-19. We have to watch their behaviors and assess. And now we know that a majority of this country is lacking the skills to create a long lasting immunity to this awful disease and a vaccine is not the cure for what really ails us.
If The Real Immunity Is Emotional Intelligence, How Do We Make This Happen?
How are we going to teach emotional intelligence to a country run by the government we have at the present time? Now this is a difficult question to answer. Here is my idea! Emotional Intelligence needs to be taught at an early age when the emotional brain is growing the fastest. So….Let’s teach our young children how to be EQ Smart and they will demonstrate to their parents these important skills. Provide the media and input to our children on an ongoing basis so the adults will learn this by osmosis. Our adults learned a great deal from Mr. Rogers back in the 50’s and 60’s. Sesame Street was also a great teacher of social and emotional learning.
It Takes A Village
Time to teach our children in this country EQ right now. An immunity like no other. This will ensure future generations of the skills to help them handle tragedies, challenges and pandemics with a greater internal fortitude it takes to sustain their emotional, physical and economic well-being that is required. Help me jump start this by sharing the Voices of CJ website and YouTube Channel with your communities. Share it with the people that will help bring this to the foreground. Remember it takes a village!