Staying Sane in Dizzying Times

As the world spirals into a miasma of Uber speed change and accelerated events around us leave us flabbergasted, how do we stay sane when things change by the time one reads this sentence. Indeed, the Pandemic has been the spark that lit the fire of imploding world events. In a manner similar to the humongous number of funeral pyres across the nation, what we are now seeing is a “bonfire of vanities” where hubris is having its comeuppance.

For long, we hoomans thought we had mastered nature and overcome pestilence and disease. However, whether caused by design or accident, the Coronavirus has been a curve ball thrown at us at a pace that is dizzying. More and more, it looks like not when we can “breathe easy” (literally and figuratively), but, if at all we can say the virus is behind us. Indeed, with all the variants and the strains, it looks as though we would be in a state of “permanent suspended animation”, much like the airborne aerosols carrying the virus that force us to mask up, even indoors.

So, how does one cope with the forced isolation and the solitariness of digitally mediated interactions? Moreover, how does one quarantine the world ad infinitum, with no clear end in sight? How does one stay sane when what we are going through is an confinement in a prison, except that we are in our own homes? Indeed, studies have shown that the Covid Pandemic is taking a toll on our individual and collective mental health, what with even respected and otherwise level headed figures, turning to drivel in their words.

Next, let us take our obsession with technology. The Utopian promise of the internet has given way to a weary and askance look at fake news, doom scrolling, and the quest for digital immortality that seems never ending. Much like Sisyphus, we are on a “treadmill to nowhere” with the end nary in sight. So, tell me, are we going mad or is it just a passing phase in a rather bumpy ride to oblivion? Even the most optimistic of self help experts and spiritual gurus seem to be floundering as we flail about in the choppy seas of our precarious existence.

It would have been okay if all that we had to endure was a home stay for a year or so. However, what about the madness of our rulers and the blindness of the ruled who seem equally clueless as to what tomorrow brings. More so, when the media drums up hysteria about perceived and imaginary enemies, especially if they are unfortunate to belong to the minority and disadvantaged groupings.

We are incessantly bombarded (the polite term is “told”) by statements that we are fighting a war with an “invisible enemy”. But, what if the enemy is us and and all that we have to do is to take a “leap of faith” of the collective will to survive? Indeed, corrosive individualism is taking us to disaster and it is time we strengthened our bonds of compassion and togetherness. We have indeed arrived at the “bridge” and it is only “love” that conquer and take us to the other side.

So, is there a “ray of hope” on the horizon or is it just a “mirage”? How long would be trek knowing that we are all finite beings with our limitations? How does one keep oneself motivated in times when despair is the norm? How does one stay sane when the world around is collapsing? Indeed, if you are reading this and find it echoing your thoughts, think about it and let me know how to stay sane in a dizzying world.