Coronavirus: Accepting the unpredictable opens up opportunities

This coronavirus health crisis and the lockdown it imposes on us can be seen as an opportunity to rethink our lives and values, individually and collectively.

We are living through an unprecedented moment in history. The feeling of collectively experiencing a historic event, yet within the confines of our daily lives, limited to the walls of our apartments and houses. A very oppressive feeling for many of us. Frédéric Lenoir's perspective is particularly interesting in this regard. This French sociologist, writer, and lecturer invites us, beyond compassion for those on the front lines of the tragedies we are experiencing, to consider the opportunities presented by this crisis. You can also listen to his podcast on our sound wall.

This is a very paradoxical period, marked by unprecedented collective experiences beyond borders and personal confinement within one's home. What is your perspective on this crisis?

Frédéric Lenoir. The word "crisis" in Chinese is represented by two ideograms that signify danger and opportunity. A crisis always presents the possibility of change, of opening ourselves to something new, of understanding its causes and trying to learn from it. It can be an awakening that allows us to live differently, both individually and collectively. But before reflecting on these opportunities, I want to express the profound compassion I feel for all those who are ill and experiencing anxiety. For those who are living in lockdown under very difficult conditions, either because they are alone or too many people in a small space. For all those who continue to work, putting themselves at risk: cashiers, garbage collectors, law enforcement officers… and of course, healthcare workers who are experiencing burnout and risking their lives due to a lack of protection. I feel a great deal of compassion for those who are suffering from this crisis.

What opportunities do you see at an individual level?

When we feel unsettled, when we step outside our comfort zone and our routines, it can be an opportunity to take a step back, to gain some perspective. We can use this time of confinement to reflect on our lives, to introspect, to savor our feelings. If we're reading a book, let's try to meditate on what it brings us and identify what new emotions and thoughts it evokes. We rarely have the time to do this. It's important to experience these moments of slowing down. Let's take this crisis as an opportunity for introspection and, of course, also for greater attention to our loved ones: spending more time with family, playing and interacting with our children, having longer phone conversations with friends about the most essential things in our lives.

Some people are affected by the stress of this personal or professional life change; how can this state be reduced?

The upheaval in our way of life brings its share of stress. The best way to combat this is to accept the situation. I've been talking about this in my books for over twenty years: you have to let go when you can't change a situation. The Stoics remind us that we must distinguish between what depends on us and what doesn't. Let's try to act on what depends on us, but when we're faced with something we can't change, it's better to accept it joyfully than to be angry and resist. If we resist, we'll suffer twice as much. We'll get stressed, we'll become anxious. On the contrary, if we see a difficulty as an opportunity, it develops flexibility, a letting go, the ability to go with the unpredictable flow of life. For many people, living with the uncertainty of tomorrow is distressing, whereas if they accept this reality, their anxiety and stress will diminish.

Easy to say… But how can we simply help people access this letting go?

The best-known technique for letting go is meditation. It teaches us to quiet the mind, that constant chatter of thoughts that fuels stress. It helps us be present in the moment, to accept reality without judgment. For those who find this exercise difficult, we can use a universal human quality that greatly helps us gain perspective: humor. Humor distances us from the tragic aspects of existence. Very funny videos are currently circulating on social media, allowing us to connect and distance ourselves from the collective ordeal we are experiencing. Joking, making fun of ourselves, and even laughing at ourselves are excellent ways to de-stress.

And for children, do you still advocate philosophy?

I created philosophy workshops with the Sève association, which are expanding throughout the country and allow children to express their thoughts, share their personal opinions, and develop their critical thinking skills. Right now, families can discuss with children what they think about the situation: what is frightening and what positive aspects might emerge from the crisis we are experiencing? What will happen next? When we give children a voice, we realize they are often full of wisdom. But it is important for everyone to exercise critical thinking, especially now, when rumors and conspiracy theories are flourishing on social media. It is crucial to debate and exercise individual and collective discernment regarding the proposed solutions to combat the virus.

While it is essential to be united and disciplined, and in particular to respect the lockdown measures, we must not relinquish our freedom to think and debate. I believe, for example, that Professor Raoult (from Marseille) was right not to fall in line and to publicly share his results on chloroquine treatment, which the Parisian authorities refused to even consider. He is gaining increasing attention, and many hospitals have decided not to follow the government's cautious guidelines given the urgency of the cases and the promising results already obtained with this older and very inexpensive treatment.

What are you thinking about on a collective level?

We live in a system where everything is interconnected, for better or for worse. The worst? Pollution, a nuclear power plant explosion, a new virus, climate change, a stock market crash, and so on. We're all in the same boat; we need to realize that. This can also lead us to make decisions so that we're not all dependent on each other, as we are now.

What solutions do you have in mind?

We must be mindful of the fragility of globalization and, in certain cases, particularly when public health is at stake, return to national or local solutions. Why are we facing a dramatic shortage of masks, including for healthcare workers? Because we limited stockpiles for purely accounting reasons, focusing entirely on domestic production. However, our national production capacity is four times too low compared to the needs, and the French government was counting on importing masks manufactured abroad in the event of a pandemic… which is absurd, since in such a situation, all countries would preemptively purchase masks produced by their own industries. This is just one example among many. This fragility of global interdependence should give us pause for thought.

Do the radical decisions made by the authorities regarding the virus not raise questions about the true will of politicians on environmental issues?

The authorities are making extremely proactive decisions regarding lockdowns, travel restrictions, remote work, and other measures that have immediate and unfortunate consequences for the economy, but very positive ones for the planet. There is less air pollution, and we can hear the birds singing again! This raises the question: why can't we take much more proactive measures for the environment? Because that is truly the major challenge of our time! The coronavirus is a significant health issue, but if we do nothing to reduce global warming, we won't have tens of thousands of deaths, but hundreds of millions worldwide! Many scientists believe that the very survival of the human species may be at stake. Politicians are constantly focused on the short term and are failing to take any strong and essential measures in the face of the climate crisis.

What should our efforts be focused on?

As Nicolas Hulot said when he was in government, we must stop this system of ecological stopgap measures and commit without further delay to a genuine ecological and socially responsible transition. The government did not follow his lead and courageously drew the necessary conclusions by resigning. This crisis shows us that if we have the will, we can take much more radical measures. The European Central Bank has just released over one trillion euros to support the economy. If we were to allocate the same amount to environmental protection, we could, for example, massively develop renewable energies or change our extremely polluting and unprofitable productivist agricultural model by helping farmers and livestock breeders to massively convert to organic and quality production. We have realized that we are capable of changing our lifestyles and making significant shifts in public policy in response to this virus. Couldn't we do the same for a much more important issue: the ecological crisis?