Both in relation to our respective individual situation and to our society: The corona crisis has brought things to light that were previously barely recognizable. To name just a few examples …
The corona crisis has taken a lot from us – including freedoms and opportunities to distract us. We are practically forced to deal with ourselves, and social phenomena and characteristics suddenly come to light that, under non-pandemic circumstances, we perceive at best blurred and incidental. Here are just a few of the many examples.
Corona magnifying glass: We can see that particularly well due to the pandemic
1. How resilient are we really?
The corona crisis is a real stress test for our psyche. Those who manage this reasonably well and calmly obviously have a really stable foundation of self-worth, problem-solving strategies, inner attitudes and emotional balance. On the other hand, anyone who notices how suddenly old thought patterns that were believed to have been overcome want to reappear, wish for toxic coping mechanisms from their own past or suddenly develop new ones, apparently have points of attack that they may not have been aware of before. In short: If you weren't sure of your own psychological resilience before Corona, it is now very likely.
2. How stable are our relationships?
According to studies and experts, the corona crisis has either brought most couples closer together or finally divided them. On the one hand, the number of divorces has increased and relationships have diverged that might still exist today without Corona. But many people were also able to feel intensely during this time what they have in their treasure and what a strong team they are. Either way: In terms of love, relationships and friendship, the pandemic has brought clarity to a great many people.
3. Our society is pretty rugged …
Poor, rich, for, against, old, young … the corona crisis has opened up several abysses that divide our society in many different places – and the individual parts seem to be drifting apart more than ever in this pandemic. What connects us all with one another at the moment is, after all, the desire and longing for an end to the crisis and a recovery from it. And hopefully, once this is fulfilled, we will find something new that will bring us together again.
4. It doesn't matter how many followers you have – as long as you know your neighbors
Whether as a private person or a company: Most of the people in this crisis received the greatest support from their immediate environment, the people in their immediate vicinity. From conversations in the supermarket queue to neighbors who have shopped for each other to customers who support their favorite restaurants with loyalty and takeaway or delivery orders, the world on your doorstep has become more important in this pandemic as lost. After all, 300,000 followers will probably not bring you any apples from the market when you are in quarantine …
5. Older people have little part in our social life
The loneliness and isolation of many elderly people, for example in nursing homes, was and is always a huge issue in this crisis. Most of them no longer have any connection to our society except through a few relatives who take care of them more or less time-consuming. That this is a problem only became apparent when this connection was also lost due to visiting bans, etc. Since the model of three or four generations under one roof has become obsolete in our society, we could perhaps think about other ways in the medium to long term to integrate more mature people and also to include them in technological developments. After all, tasks and challenges have been shown to keep us healthy and flexible, especially in old age. And our society as a whole could benefit soooo much from the experience and perspective of the elderly.
6. It is difficult to be considerate and sensible willingly
To be honest, we've all probably scolded all the bans and rules that our government has put on us in the past few months. But would we always act cautiously and sensibly on our own initiative if it did not exist? Many people certainly not, otherwise the second wave in autumn would not have come in the first place. The acute needs and the quick desire for joy are in some moments stronger than our conscientiousness and our foresight. We may curse the contact restrictions. But at the same time we need them because they relieve us and make it easier for us to do the right thing.
7. "Self-actualization first" may promote loneliness
According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are around 17.6 million single households in Germany; between 1991 and 2019 the proportion of people living alone rose from 34 to 42 percent. After only a few weeks of pandemic and lockdown, various dating portals reported a significant increase in registered users and the average time users spend on online dating. "Hardballing", ie looking for something serious, was identified as a trend by dating experts. What does all this tell us? Apparently we live in a society in which loneliness increases and many people long for closeness and love – when they are denied all the freedoms such as dancing, traveling around the world alone, meeting friends, etc.
As positive as it is without the slightest doubt that our tolerance towards unconventional life models is growing and, for example, being single is now largely accepted, the bottom line is that increasing individualization and the focus on self-realization also mean that more and more people are left alone and on their own. And even if some have felt in the wake of the corona crisis that they might not want to stay that way: the longer someone has been (happier) single, the harder it will be to get involved in a relationship.
Of course, this does not mean at all that singles are generally lonely and that we should strive for a state in which everyone can get under the hood as quickly as possible (please by no means at all)! We now just see that there are very many people in our society that nobody "cares" about and who are primarily on their own. And maybe in the future or at the latest with the next pandemic we will find a way not to just let these people down.
Sources used: tagesschau.de