Responsibility during a global crisis

There are many ways to understand responsibility. For example, caring for and not endangering another person, such as caring for someone you love – your spouse, your children or your parents.

A month ago, I wrote a column about "the other;" the person who is seen as different. By forming imaginary circles around ourselves or circles that include loved ones and a very close friend or two, we leave everyone else outside our circles. The people outside our circles are considered "the other."

We often project many judgements, fears and dislikes on the other, who we see as difficult to understand, foreign and not trustworthy. We can also add irresponsibility to this list. In other words, we behave irresponsibly toward the other while only being responsible to people in our circles.

Now, with the current coronavirus crisis, we must no longer only care for people in our circles. Healthcare professionals provide us with guidelines to help us reduce the risk of infection to ourselves and other people ("the other"). Satisfying the guidelines requires that we find a new sense of responsibility within and outside our comfortable circles. We must now be responsible enough to extend our circles to include people in our neighborhoods, town, state and even the entire world. If we do not, we jeopardize others, which is completely irresponsible.

Someone who is irresponsible is egotistical (basically the person is selfish). Being egotistical during this crisis also means not being very conscious (aware). Considering the care and welfare of everyone by expanding our circles, we not only are being responsible but changing our consciousness (awareness) about ourselves, other people and life.

When we ignore (are not conscious enough) the danger in our circles, we dismiss the reality of the crisis. Today, the news continually reminds us of this global reality. We must accept this reality, be responsible and extend our circles to include the entire world. We must be conscious of the danger. Otherwise, our irresponsibleness can result in the contamination of many people affecting them in severe and fatal ways.

Regardless of how we've lived our lives in the past, at the present a microscopic virus is forcing us to change. Change is always difficult and changing quickly even more difficult.

Nonetheless, either we live in a responsible way, conscious of providing safety for everyone by sheltering-in-place, wearing masks, keeping social distances and maintaining our health and the health of others. Or we remain egotistical and irresponsible to ourselves and others which inevitably will result in illness or death.