One of the basic rule of life is – we can never make everyone happy.
Since the announcement of the economic stimulus package last Friday, there have been so many economic, business and social experts that came to life like mushrooms. Giving various excuses to be critics, legitimizing whatever everyone wants to say. Well, everyone has a right to their opinion – so do I.
In celebrating that spirit, I’ll write it straight up too – right now, it’s not just about you. Ok?
I get everyone’s anxious with the uncertainties, scared of what’s currently happening and what’s out there in the future.
Whether this restrictive period will be prolonged, whether there will be a total lockdown? How will businesses survive? How will it impact our lives? Our pockets? Our kids without school? Our mental health?
I get it.
Do you think the people at the government knows all the answers to the above? The other countries knows how to deal with it? America – the powerhouse of the world knows the answers to all these questions?
Answer is: no.
China didn’t. Italy didn’t. Whole of Europe didn’t.
America didn’t: if not they wouldn’t have exceeded the 100k cases barrier so quickly. Do they know the impact to the economy – I’m sure they don’t. New York was the first to get locked down. Whether whatever actions they are taking is good? Whatever opinions are just assumptions and speculations – the world will only know when this is all over.
And when that time comes, when this dark phase of the world passes by, everyone would need to come together, rebuild everything back together.
People of Wuhan are now just seeing the light, after 3 months of full lockdown. Were their lives impacted? Business impacted? Of course, for sure. Can’t imagine how bad.
Right now they are just thankful to be alive.
I’m not being insensitive or anything (if I come sounding as such, I apologize but it just has to come out this way), the truth is this is the first time, at least in a very very long time, such a large scale of calamity has hit the world.
Nobody knows the right answer, nobody is prepared.
Everyone is trying their best. The health ministry, the finance ministry, the police, the army, all the other ministries – basically everyone on deck, with their first priority being the safety of everyone.
If more people are sick, more people are dead, all the other equations will fall apart. Resources both human and financial will be channeled there – and it only gets worst.
It’s not just about you.
So – if you critics think you have all the answers, a full proof plan that makes everyone happy – you’re super genius. Cause no one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. Only Allah knows.
Like when people say deferment of loans/financings doesn’t mean you gain money – of course it doesn’t. It’s a deferment, what you owe you still owe. Like everything is connected.
And for sure all these money that is going out is not meant to subsidize your lifestyles – not meant to pay your netflix, water filter, etc. Those money given out (if you’re eligible) is meant to help people with food, with utility bills (without your air conditioners, your 50 inch TV, your two door fridge), etc.
People are in ICUs and dying. Everyone doesn’t know how far it has spread, where and who – and that’s what you’re thinking: why isn’t the government subsidizing my life?
How self centered can you be?
It’s not just about you.
It’s about us – not the individual us. It’s about all of us holistically, not individually. The collective us.
It’s about us as a society, as a country.
So – my advice to everyone and myself, if you don’t have anything good or meaningful to say (not just to your self interest i.e. selfishness) – shut up.
And concentrate in asking yourself – have you stayed home.
Stay home and shut up.