We are all looking for good things that can come from the current situation during a pandemic. Instead of flowing into utopian fantasies, I looked for practical positives.
Letting Go of Social Comparison
I used to compare my Saturday night to what I thought other people were doing. When I turned 50, I finally realized that we all choose the Saturday night we like so comparing is a waste of energy. I wish I’d figured that out sooner. Today, everyone’s Saturday night is basically the same. Of course, there are small differences, but focusing on them is a waste of your energy. The quarantine can help people learn to enjoy what they have instead of keeping score.
The mammal brain evolved to compare itself to others because that’s how a mammal knows when it’s safe to assert. Your mammal brain will keep making social comparisons whether you consciously want to or not. But you can manage that impulse more effectively when you know where it comes from. The new world of distancing gives you a chance to rewire your old social-comparison circuits. You can redirect the old sense of threat that your comparisons trigger.
