Coronavirus **personal experiences** thread

I think if people would only understand that one point, specifically, “You’re not going to change my mind, and I know I’m not going to change yours”, people could much more easily just “let it go”.

Problem is, people (on BOTH sides), have the mindset, “You’re not going to change my mind, but I’m going to go on and on and on anyway even though I still know I’m not going to change yours”. And emphasis, that’s both sides, who have doctors and scientists and celebrities and sports-figures all on their side, too.

Why can’t opinions be changed? Are we all that closed minded?

did you find arguing very productive in the past?

heres a question you may help shed some light on
everyone invited to join in

How do you feel about grandparents like me, hugging their grandchildren coming to visit from out of state.

Would you hug?

Im getting tested first, I think I should still wear a mask, and meet outdoors.
Shopping patio furniture as we speak

What are your thoughts?

We’re in the same boat,jon. We’re not happy about it, but we look at this as a sensible precaution.

I wonder what it does to the brain of an infant, to process facial information with a mask covering half the data source?

Maybe the next generation will see masks as normal and develop hypersensitivity to eye gestures…

just today, speaking to a masked pharmacist, when I thanked her, she squinted at me… I took that to mean she was smiling :slight_smile:

I never realized people squint when they smile

I have been using hand gestures more

An excerpt from the longer quote above, because it bears repeating:

Tough question, especially with the holidays approaching. I’d say wear masks.

Yeah, pretty much.

Who wants to admit, “I was wrong”?

There are exceptions, of course, but I’d say most people aren’t interested in changing their opinions or beliefs.

EXCERPT

“The idea that herd immunity will happen at 10 or 20 percent is just nonsense,” said Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which produced the epidemic model frequently cited during White House news briefings as the epidemic hit hard in the spring.

That belief began circulating months ago on conservative news programs like those of Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham. It has been cited several times by Dr. Scott W. Atlas, President Trump’s new pandemic adviser. It appears to be behind Mr. Trump’s recent remarks that the pandemic is “rounding the corner” and “would go away even without the vaccine.”

But it is also gaining credence on Wall Street and among some business executives, said prominent public health experts, who consider the idea scientifically unfounded as well as dangerous; its most vocal adherents are calling for mask-wearing and social distancing to end just as cold weather is shifting social activity indoors, where the risk of transmission is higher.

Can opinions be changed? In some cases it might be possible to change your own.

Maybe it’s related to education—as long as you are reading and learning something new every day, then you are increasing your body of knowledge available to evaluate different viewpoints.

Maybe it’s related to travel—if you have the opportunity to visit or live in another state or country, then you are exposed to how other people live in a different culture.

Maybe it’s related to conversation—if you talk to people about their experiences, then you can walk a mile in their shoes and develop empathy for their different life.

kennybobby that is very well stated. I have found, in many cases, these perspectives you outlined are when I really “learn” about people. places and things and when my opinion or preconceived notions “prejudices” can be changed. I almost always find that I am improved as a person. Occasionally I find that I was right all along but I learn in any event. Thanks a lot for your post.

:+1:

Unfortunately, both Lightbringer and kennybobby are right: most people aren’t interested in changing their opinions and beliefs, and for people who are, education throughout one’s lifetime, travel, and conversation can be a source of information that can change one’s mind and increase one’s knowledge on a variety of subjects.

When I was first connected to the web, I was excited by the opportunity to gain access to a lot more information on almost any subject very easily. I believed that access to the web would help humanity in general by enabling us to expand our knowledge in a very efficient way. However, what has come to pass is the opposite effect. The web is most often used to reinforce preexisting beliefs and opinions, rather than as a source of information that can challenge us to see the world in a different way and change our views. The web, and social media in particular, have resulted in a further polarization of society, rather than a broader feeling of community based on a shared base of knowledge. This effect has been accelerated and amplified by people who have realized they can make a good living or further political or national interests by promoting false and/or misleading information on the web - or by helping other people promote false and/or misleading information on the web.

It only takes a public emergency, such as a pandemic, for the results of this reality to become tragic, as we have seen in the USA.

Yep, that’s when Man™ is shown as he really is, the shaved ape who flings his doody at others.

Me, cynical? Nah…

Yep

Donald Trump & Melania Trump have contracted #COVID19, testing positive. It appears they got it from Hope Hicks on a recent trip. Numerous other staffers were also in close proximity to Hope Hicks. A sizable portion of Trump’s staff may end up in quarantine.

Hmmm, and right before the election, too.

I smell a conspiracy…

My thoughts and prayers are with the virus.

Hi everyone, I think the most obvious coronavirus related news item at this point in time isn’t really news anymore due to the extremely heavy media coverage. So please avoid the topic here on BLF, as it will only lead to political controversy.

Very well said.

As NorthernHarrier mentions, Google heavily bends search results in favor of what it has determined that the individual user already likes and believes. And it’s remarkable how entities like FB, Twitter, and Youtube have basically proclaimed themselves as canonical sources of and defenders of The Truth. That’s a realm/role that I definitely don’t want to get into here on BLF, which is why I put the blanket prohibition on everything controversial, regardless of whether I personally consider it to be true or false, or even if I’ve never looked into it.