The present crisis has served to transvalue the jaded values of our world:
Personally:
o We have been compelled to slow down and to change our lifestyles
o We realize how we have taken our many freedoms for granted
o In a situation of scarce resources, we become more aware of, and grateful for the otherwise insignificant aspects and graces of life
Domestically:
o There has never been as much time and opportunity to relate with our loved ones
o The young have a better chance to express their playfulness and curiosity, and the old to offer their wisdom and care
Intellectually and academically:
o Home-schooling and domestic value education may soon become the new normal
o The development of personal skillsets may gradually supersede the need for a long, laborious, and often unfocused formal education
o Educational and entertainment resources are shared more willingly, calling into question the notion of “intellectual property rights”
Economically:
o We recognize how we have taken our services for granted: especially the hidden and underpaid services of manual, monotonous, “unskilled” and unorganized labour
o We live in two intertwined nations: India and Bharat. We have overvalued and overpaid India, while exploiting Bharat to the utmost
Politically:
o Geo-political boundaries and turf wars don’t make sense anymore: we are more interrelated and co-dependent than we think
o Power lies at the peripheries, where local leaders and communities are better able to decide how to live life fully and in harmony with others
o We are better able to distinguish between leaders who unite versus those who thrive on suspicion and division
Organizationally:
o We can lighten our travel-based carbon footprint enormously, by hosting national and international meetings online
o We could do more work from home, causing less local pollution and reducing unnecessary intensity, stress and hype related to work
Ethically:
o Our new heroes are not those who have money, power, fame or educational degrees, but those who are willing to reach out and help
o Our true character and values emerge in such crises, and are reflected in the choices we make, as persons and as communities
Environmentally:
o The earth is slowly beginning to heal and rejuvenate itself
o We are more able to recognize the presence and beauty of other life forms
Existentially:
o We are obliged to consider the purpose and value of life, without being able to escape into our usual distractions and addictions
o Perhaps the most important learning of all is our vulnerability: life is fragile and mysterious, and we are not entirely in control of it
We are neither masters of our destiny nor slaves of harsh natural forces: we have before us a chance to co-create a new set of values, lifestyles and relationships, based on our new learnings.
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