Pandemic "Logic"

I’ve been a therapist for a lot of years and have heard many stories about all sorts of stuff, but lately, during this pandemic period, it’s clear that people have been negatively affected in ways that we can’t even pinpoint. We’re all in survival mode, and as a result, people have developed their own ways of seeing things, impervious to the perspective of others.

What I’ve become particularly aware of is that everyone has their own pandemic “logic”—rationalizations and explanations for their own behaviors around COVID. People have made up their own rules of behavior around the pandemic and kind of bend those rules to fit things they want to do. People insist that what they are doing and the rationale behind their behavior is the “correct” way of thinking and behaving, not open to question or contradiction and closed off to differing viewpoints.

People have always had their beliefs and political points of view but there has always been somewhat of an idiosyncratic “logic” to that. But the pandemic “logic” is something else—purposeful contradictions and panic-laden justifications that oftentimes make questionable sense. People who are otherwise rational behave in ways that are blatantly risky and explain it away with a logic that is questionable at the very least.

During these pandemic months, coping mechanisms have been stretched, reserves depleted, resiliency has been tested, and otherwise sane people are behaving in rigid and illogical ways. It is the aftermath of a long and difficult period that has challenged how we all cope and how we think. We have all been tried, stressed, and challenged.

There have been so many variations of comportment, all with a “logic” behind them. Many people have gone about their lives during this pandemic period with trepidation, concern, and fear of catching the virus and passing it on, while others have lived their lives as if nothing has changed—as if the virus does not and never did exist. Many have consistently worn masks around others and/or been vaccinated, juxtaposed to others refusing or fearing the vaccine, refusing to wear masks while touting "Don’t tell me what to do!" as a mantra. And then, there are all the behaviors in the middle.

Contradictions and disagreements have often dominated conversations with family, friends, coworkers and permeated the things we hear on social media and the news. It goes without saying that we are all individuals with our own idiosyncratic lens through which we view the world and subsequently behave. And yes, everyone has their own way of thinking and behaving during this pandemic, some of which might make little logical sense to someone else.

Moving past pandemic "logic"

Holding on to pandemic “logic” and being closed off to any other way of thinking can divide people at a time when, in this critical period in history, we need to come together and learn from each other. The perspective of being open to others is far more survivalist-oriented than is the perpetuation of division. Perhaps we all need to be open to at least trying to understand where others are coming from, why they are behaving the way they do, whether we agree with their “logic” or not. Oftentimes these days, how people behave is rooted in fear—fear of something.

So, taking into account that we all have our own pandemic “logic,” how can we better respond to others or at least be open to hearing what others have to say? It begins with being aware of the existence of our own “logic” and challenging ourselves to hear what others might be saying that may not be consistent with how we think. In listening, and in turn, being “heard,” we open ourselves to self-reflection, which can lead to challenging ourselves to rethink our sometimes-questionable behaviors. Maybe we can pay attention to the fact that others have something to say that might not be our own “logic,” but just might make a little bit more sense.