Words that caught me: D is for 'Decision-Making Model'
Fear
is an interesting bitch!
I
recall very well what I felt
When
I first heard of COVID-19,
How
it was spreading quickly,
And
ravaging the world.
I was
shocked at how the streets
Of the major world cities emptied suddenly.
I was
worried for my family.
I was
anxious about our livelihoods.
Every
plan i had for the year
Seemed
to blow up in smoke.
I was
scared of going anywhere,
Or
inviting friends to our house.
I
preferred to shut the door and hide.
We
all did.
But
look at what we are doing now?
Does
it intrigue you how things
Have
turned full circle?
We initially
felt safe, with our doors locked.
Then
we got tired of staying indoors.
And now
we are falling over ourselves
To
get back to our lives,
Even
though we know the risk
that this poses.
What
happened?
What
changed our minds and attitudes?
Was
it all a hoax?
It
turns out that fear is, often, just a story in our mind.
And
this appears to be one of those instances.
Where
we imagined doom, and gave flight!
But…wait
a minute…
There
are countries that didn’t go for a lockdown.
How
did they make that choice?
How
come, in the face of the same facts –
Few,
and with many unknowns, as it were –
They still
managed to tell themselves a different story?
How
did they gain the confidence to walk left,
When
everyone else was running right?
What
made them risk a life and death experiment
Whose
results they couldn’t be sure?
What
made them stay still, and not take flight?
How
did they stay the course amid all the criticism?
Back
then, they appeared to be reckless rascals.
Today
we celebrate them
For
their wisdom and courage.
How
so?
For
me,
The
first lesson of COVID-19 pandemic is that,
Our
decision-making models
Are
more important,
Than
the decisions themselves.
There
is currently a lot of debate and analysis –
Within
ourselves, and in the public domain –
On
the gaps in our assumptions,
On existing
institutional voids,
And
on why and how we got here.
It’s
a good time to step back and listen...
The
teacher is well into the lesson…
The
models are updating…
The narrative
is changing…
Are
we listening?
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