It is March 20th, 2020. And, no matter where you are in the world you likely are aware of the global pandemic that is Covid-19. At the time I’m writing this I understand that Antarctica is the only continent that hasn’t been impacted by the coronavirus. We are living in uncertain times for sure. It is going to take the coming together of the human race to beat this thing. We have to band together. Except that…we can’t. Physically anyway. And, it is this facet of survival that I want to talk about in this post. Let me just say that for all of the ills and blows to our self-esteem that the rise of social media has dealt us there is at least one redeeming quality that is emerging from it. And, that is the ability it gives us to connect while we can’t connect. This is so very important. It is a well known fact that even as individuals a great deal of our own identity comes from the groups we belong to. These groups can be anything from our citizenship, ethnic group, faith group, family system, football team, book club, and so on. Since a large part of our identity comes from our groups it is understandable that to be ostracized or isolated can be very disorienting. It is safe to say, “we need each other.” I need you in order to feel grounded and you need me for all the same reasons. It is the grounding, this sense of center that I want to talk about.
Right now I am taking a social psychology class. I had no idea at the beginning of this class how very pertinent the curriculum would be not only for me but for the world in this moment. I am amazed at the synchronicity of not only the class itself but even the specific chapters as they unfold seem to all speak to how we are dealing and should be dealing with this global pandemic. Here in my city of Chattanooga, TN we have been ordered to practice social distancing and to only go out if unavoidable. Most countries and larger cities seem to be practicing this as well. Many companies and places of work have closed, many churches have closed, and restaurants are offering delivery, pickup, or drive thru service only. We are discouraged from congregating. Yet congregating is one of the most powerful tools humanity has ever had in order to perpetuate it’s survival. Again, we are so blessed to have social media.
It is in light of the power of groups that I want to share some interesting research tidbits. I believe these tidbits can be very helpful for us right now in the midst of the coronavirus threat and help us guide each other to safety and confidence. In 1959 Stanley Schacter conducted an experiment on the hypothesis that, “misery loves company.” In his experiment he took a group of people and threatened them with electric shock. Sure enough when the threat was introduced everyone huddled together for strength against a common enemy (being shocked!). But, interestingly enough two years later in 1961 another experiment conducted by Sarnoff and Zimbardo not only did they replicate Schacter’s experiment but they introduced a manipulation. Rather than threat or making people afraid they made people anxious. The results? People who were threatened did indeed group up but people who were made anxious did not group with others who also felt anxious. I found this study in my current textbook, Social Psychology by Thomas Heinzen and Wind Goodfriend.
So, what is the takeaway from these results? Right now it is time to a beacon of hope. We understand that there is so much we can’t do. We can’t congregate. We can’t go about life as usual. No movies, no first dates, no faith meetings, no work! I am so thankful to see people in my community who are being so courageous and braving these pandemic conditions in order to meet the needs of the elderly and immune compromised populations here. Businesses that are typically offline such as yoga studios, real estate agents, counselors, and even faith communities are finding ways to offer virtual services and connection to make sure we don’t lose our sense of normalcy and connection and routine. But, maybe you are one of those groups who can’t go out grocery shopping for others. Maybe you don’t own a business that you can take online. I am convinced that you are going to be one of the greatest resources humanity has during this pandemic. Why? Because you have the innate ability to offer to your fellow human a sense of belonging. Perhaps your daily grind always had you so busy that while you noticed folks who suffered emotionally or mentally or in some other way you often thought how you would like to help but didn’t have the time. Now you do! Those people you’ve taken note…now you can be reach out to them. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to let someone know they are seen and they are heard. Just by inboxing someone on social media during this time of quarantine you can show that you have an intention to build them up. It can be such a simple gesture with powerful results.
My goal during this time (even as one who has a journey with anxiety disorder) is to be a beacon of hope. Join me?
Here’s to health my friends,
Cozett
The Catalyst 
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