Many things humans do cause unintended consequences. Who foresaw the problems the gasoline-powered car would cause? Long-term systemic air pollution. Prime land paved over. Congestion commuting. Losing touch with nature.
The car freed us and tied us down. It’s given us way greater mobility as individuals than at any other time in history. Wake up, drive 43 miles to your job, do your work, drive home. We don’t think too much about the routine. Yes, the vehicle is great to get us there and to other engagements, but paying for gasoline, repairs are other unintended consequences like those noted above.
When technology is adopted or a major change comes our way, we don’t always think through in advance what will happen in the months or years to come. That may be because we don’t have enough time to think through the changes or solely because as a species we don’t play out all the scenarios before proceeding. We act. We respond. We adapt.
There are going to be a LOT of unintended consequences from COVID-19. Some we already know and some we won’t learn about for years.
People wearing masks. Getting your temperature checked before you step into your manufacturing building in the morning or at a sporting event. Staggered work schedules so only a certain number of people are in your office space on a given day. Giving the foot kick to someone when you greet that person instead of the longstanding traditional handshake. All these things are happening now, and more are to come, both significant and insignificant in terms of how we live.
My wife and I have adjusted on many fronts. We maintain distance from others while out in public and appropriately wear our masks. We’re finding new ways to say hello and greet others.
One of the more amusing unintended consequences of how the virus has affected my routine is the piling up of magazines on our bedroom floor as I wait for our fitness facility to reopen. I miss that 3-day-a-week ritual for many reasons – the bonding with others as we go about workouts; telling a joke to a few buddies; the sense of accomplishment and stress reduction after the workout is finished.
One of the things I always did was put my finished magazines into the rack so others could have a good read while they rode the stationary bike or used any of the other machines where they could maintain fixed eyesight. I liked to share the magazines, and it was a chance for them to be reused before going into recycling. There was a little sense of doing the right thing, and giving to others.
Now the magazines pile up. It’s been six weeks. I don’ want to throw them into the recycling bin. At the same time, the information in each magazine slowly loses its value as the information machine in our society churns along.
I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. There are seven issues waiting right now. The pile grows. But there are rays of light that things will open up a bit in few weeks.
I’m hoping so. The next month’s editions are coming. And if I can’t drop them off at our fitness facility, I may actually have to change my behavior and bring them to our chiropractor.
The car freed us and tied us down. It’s given us way greater mobility as individuals than at any other time in history. Wake up, drive 43 miles to your job, do your work, drive home. We don’t think too much about the routine. Yes, the vehicle is great to get us there and to other engagements, but paying for gasoline, repairs are other unintended consequences like those noted above.
When technology is adopted or a major change comes our way, we don’t always think through in advance what will happen in the months or years to come. That may be because we don’t have enough time to think through the changes or solely because as a species we don’t play out all the scenarios before proceeding. We act. We respond. We adapt.
There are going to be a LOT of unintended consequences from COVID-19. Some we already know and some we won’t learn about for years.
People wearing masks. Getting your temperature checked before you step into your manufacturing building in the morning or at a sporting event. Staggered work schedules so only a certain number of people are in your office space on a given day. Giving the foot kick to someone when you greet that person instead of the longstanding traditional handshake. All these things are happening now, and more are to come, both significant and insignificant in terms of how we live.
My wife and I have adjusted on many fronts. We maintain distance from others while out in public and appropriately wear our masks. We’re finding new ways to say hello and greet others.
One of the more amusing unintended consequences of how the virus has affected my routine is the piling up of magazines on our bedroom floor as I wait for our fitness facility to reopen. I miss that 3-day-a-week ritual for many reasons – the bonding with others as we go about workouts; telling a joke to a few buddies; the sense of accomplishment and stress reduction after the workout is finished.
One of the things I always did was put my finished magazines into the rack so others could have a good read while they rode the stationary bike or used any of the other machines where they could maintain fixed eyesight. I liked to share the magazines, and it was a chance for them to be reused before going into recycling. There was a little sense of doing the right thing, and giving to others.
Now the magazines pile up. It’s been six weeks. I don’ want to throw them into the recycling bin. At the same time, the information in each magazine slowly loses its value as the information machine in our society churns along.
I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. There are seven issues waiting right now. The pile grows. But there are rays of light that things will open up a bit in few weeks.
I’m hoping so. The next month’s editions are coming. And if I can’t drop them off at our fitness facility, I may actually have to change my behavior and bring them to our chiropractor.
