Chengeer, good to hear your thoughts on the situation. I was thinking about messaging you earlier.

I think the real concern is not the virus but the economic effects of it. The possibility of a long recession is very real and I’ve noticed that many of your articles speak to self-reliance and taking responsibility for your life and future.

You’re ahead of the curve and in a job that is likely to see great demand in the coming months. I’m confident you will be fine.

But yes, no need to worry as much about the virus. I don’t see how it can be avoided, so what happens, happens. Yet there are measures people can take which will help alleviate the impact this event will have. These can include ensuring an adequate supply of food and essential products for the home. We laugh at the stories of people fighting over toilet paper, but it’s really not a joke when you think about it.

Just wanted to add a bit of perspective on what you wrote. I find a lot of people around me are not taking the situation as seriously as they should. It’s not the virus we should be most concerned about. It’s the effects of fear and panic which will only be exacerbated in the coming months or even next year as people look to return to “normal”. Normal is what has gotten us to this point.

Capitalism is not a sustainable system if we continue as we are, consuming and buying things we don’t need. What we truly need is a system that respects the value of human life and is not reliant upon increasing GDP through consumer spending. That is a boneheaded way for society to function.

I’m not sure how society will look in the next year or decade, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be a return to normal. Will we rise in strength and learn the value of cooperation over competition or will we try to go back to the flawed system that we presently inhabit? I don’t know, but this virus is likely going to be the catalyst for a radical upheaval and reexamination of our priorities as a human species.

Thank you for everything you’ve written so far and engaging with me. In these times the necessity of gratitude and meaningful relationships in our lives is going to be tested. Individually we are nothing, together we are everything.

And the world is going to change once we decide to cooperate rather than compete. That decision is going to be made on a global scale. Whatever the outcome, it’s going to change us.

History is going to be made from this point forward.

Maybe we’ll snap out of our trance.

And usher in a renaissance.

Hope this is going to be the case.

Thanks again Chengeer.