LIFE DURING COVID-19:
STORIES OF THE EVERYDAY
Knowledge | Action
There’s this thing called “dissonance.” Basically, it’s when there’s some kind of conflict or inconsistency between what a person knows and how a person acts.
I’m guessing this is a time when many people are experiencing some dissonance.
We’re hearing so much about what we should be doing when it comes to COVID-19, such as how to protect our own health and the health of others.
But sometimes, we struggle to do the things we think we should be doing.
For instance, my father is high-risk in the pandemic. I know I should stay away from him to protect his health. But I miss him. Because he resists using technology to stay in contact, I’m constantly tempted to go check on him.
For other people I know, dissonance comes from a different place. For example, a friend of mine knows that she puts herself and her family at risk of contracting coronavirus when she goes to work.
To see for myself that he’s okay and to let him know I'm here for him. I’ve even visited him a couple of times when I knew I shouldn’t.
Dissonance. I knew what I should do (stay away; stick to calls), but I let my need to see him override that.
Dissonance. She goes (out of economic need) even though she knows she “shouldn’t” according to public health mandates.
She hates that and fears it every day. But her family needs the income, and she can't do her job from home.
So, tell me about a time during the pandemic when you knew what you should do, but you did something else anyway. What was the situation? How did you feel, and what were you thinking? What did you think about it later?