Critical Thinking: Is The Coronavirus Forcing Some People To Face Themselves?

For a long time now, the world has been moving forward and it seemed as though nothing could stop it. Now, though, due to the coronavirus, the world is rapidly coming to a standstill.

Of course, the world was moving before and it is still moving now; what has changed is that a lot of the people have been forced to change their behaviour. In just a matter of weeks, so much has changed.

Totally Unexpected

If the average person was told this time last year that, in a year’s time, the world would be like it is now, they would probably laugh. They might describe the person saying this as crazy or even a conspiracy theorist.

Ultimately, they would have been told something that seemed highly unlikely. But if they didn’t dismiss what they heard, what may have come to mind is that it would have been to due to terrorism or perhaps a war.

A Different Life

So instead of getting up and going to work shortly after, so many people will get up and be unable to do what they would usually do. Some people might be able to work remotely but this won’t be the case for everyone.

Additionally, a greater number of people won’t be able to see friends or family, or to go to the gym or to attend social gatherings. Being in lockdown, as hard as it is, is a way to stop the contagion from spreading.

A New Life

A lot of people will then have gone from being practically always on the go, to not being able to do any of the things that they would usually do. Naturally, this is going to be a massive shock to their system.

It can be as though they are under house arrest, and that their freedom has been taken away from them. For some of these people, it could be as if their identity has been stripped away from them.

Up To the Surface

And as so many people are no longer able to behave in the same way, it can result in them coming into contact with things that they have kept at bay for quite some time. What this means is that the parts of themselves that they have pushed down into their unconscious mind/body can start to come into their conscious mind.

The busyness that allowed them to avoid themselves for so long will have fallen away. This is not to say that there is no longer a way out, however, as there is all of the ‘entertainment’ that is available online and on TV to take someone away from themselves again.

Two Choices

Taking this into account, someone in this position can either look for ways to distract themselves from themselves or they can start to face themselves head-on. If they opt for the former, they are unlikely to be doing themselves any favours in the long-run.

Instead of using this time to reconnect to themselves, to connect to their true needs and to no longer live a life that is based on avoidance, they will be choosing to waste it. When all the dust settles in a matter of months or however long it will be, it will be business as usual; that’s if the world hasn’t radically changed.

The Alternative

If, on the other hand, they opt for the latter, they will be able to use this time to connect to who they really are and to let go of the distractions. In the short-term, this option is likely to be a lot harder than the former.

But then, if it was easy for someone to face themselves, there would be no reason for them to avoid themselves to begin with. And, for so long, one would have lived in a society that made it incredibility easy for them to avoid themselves.

The Button Has Been Pressed

One way to understand this would be to imagine that society was one big treadmill, where it was hard for someone to stop, to be and to simply reflect. Due to this contagion, the treadmill has now been switched off and now that it is slowing down, a lot of what was pushed down is slowly coming up.

If, then, one was to take the time to be with themselves, they may find that they come into contact with thoughts, feelings and sensations that they haven’t experienced for a very long time. All this inner ‘material’ could be overwhelming, with them having a strong need to eat or to watch something, for instance.

Know Thyself

And as what is taking place inside them is so intense, it can cause them to be more affected by what is taking place externally. What is taking place externally will be triggering what is taking place inside them, thereby making it harder for them to stay centred and to be present.

Having this understanding will allow one to see that they have control over how they feel and that they are not merely at the mercy of what is taking place around them. What this illustrates is how important both self-awareness and self-knowledge is.

Final Thoughts
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If someone does face themselves but doesn’t know how to deal with what comes up, it will be essential for them to look into what they can do work through their inner baggage. Fortunately, there is a lot of information online that will shed light on this.