People only hear what they want to hear.

What they said: We are easing lockdown restrictions but you need to wear masks and social distance when you go out.

What people heard: Covid-19 is over.  Let's go to the beach.

Unfortunately people are more likely to hear information that reinforces their existing beliefs, and to block out information that doesn't.  It's called selective perception.  It's actually a decision-making short-cut - a way to cope with the overwhelming amount of information we deal with on a daily basis.  (Gilbert, Tafarodi & Malone, 1993)

And it's the reason why it's so hard to change someone's mind after they have decided how they feel.

Notice that last part.  It's how they feel, not what's true.  Because perception is reality.  And all decisions are emotional.

In a study about how to get anti-vaxxers to vaccinate the only approach that had any traction was showing parents pictures of sick children and having the parent of that child tell their story. (Pinker, 2016)

So I guess that means we need to show pictures of people dying from Covid-19 to these folks before they get the message.  Sadly I think there will be plenty of those to see in the next few weeks.

Stay Home. 

Your life or the life of someone you love depends on it.

Gilbert, D., Tafarodi, R. & Malone, P. (1993, August) You Can't Not Believe Everything You Read. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.  Retrieved April 3, 2020, from http://www.danielgilbert.com/Gilbert%20et%20al%20(EVERYTHING%20YOU%20READ).pdf

Pinker, S. (2016, March 12)  The Fear Factor Sells Vaccines Against Measles.  The Wall Street Journal.  pC2.

Why be healthy when you can just carry a water bottle?

According to the CDC only 3% of Americans are meeting the daily guidelines for a healthy lifestyle.

Let's recap what those are...

·         No cigarette smoking

·         No more than three alcoholic drinks a week

·         Eight hours of sleep a night

·         30 minutes of exercise a day

·         Five to nine fruits and vegetables a day

·         Weight within recommended guidelines

Ideally people who fall short of these goals will try to alter their lifestyles to meet them.  But that's not what's happening.  Instead people are redefining healthy to mean something that they can achieve.  Like carrying around a water bottle.

But most people aren't under-hydrated, and drinking more water won't counter the effects of not following the guidelines.  It's nothing more than theater - pretending to be healthy instead of doing the hard work involved in actually being healthy.

It doesn't help that entire tribes have bought into the fantasy and members are now carrying bottles that indicate tribal membership.  For VSCO girls there's Hydro Flask.  For rich people there's Yeti.  And for design-focused consumers there's Bkr and Hay.  (LeClair, 2020)

But while all of these bottles may scream "I belong," they don't make the person carrying them any healthier.

They say that most lies are told to protect self-esteem.  But it's dangerous to ignore the truth when it could kill you.  Even if it is human.

LeClair, C. (2020, January 4)  Everyone’s Resolution Is to Drink More Water in 2020. nytimes.com.  Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/style/self-care/hydrate-hydrate-hydrate.html

A democracy is supposed to be majority rule.

Trump lost the election by 3 million votes.  And since then he has enacted policy after policy that the majority of Americans do not agree with.  That's odd.  I thought democracies are supposed to be ruled by the majority.

Now Trump is pushing people to go back to work when according to a recent poll by Pew Research 68% of Americans say that it is too soon. (Daniller, 2020)

Of course, if you were someone who followed the crowd, you wouldn't know that people feel that way.  

That's because the 1% who care more about their stock holdings than they do about people, has been funding sham protests.  When they tried it in Staten Island, no one showed up.  Apparently they weren't being paid enough to die for the cause.

But in our world perception is reality. 

And that is why media outlets - including Facebook and Twitter need to be held accountable if they spread fake news -- Fox News isn't the only one responsible for this slow motion train wreck.   But maybe it's time the mainstream media started framing these protests for what they are - figure out who paid the protestors and out them.  Yes.  It's "follow the money" all over again.

Daniller, A. (2020, May 7)  Americans remain concerned that states will lift restrictions too quickly, but partisan differences widen. pewresearch.org.  Retrieved May 13, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/05/07/americans-remain-concerned-that-states-will-lift-restrictions-too-quickly-but-partisan-differences-widen/?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20-05-07%20State%20restrictions%20concerns%20FT%20HEADS%20UP&org=982&lvl=100&ite=6183&lea=1373390&ctr=0&par=1&trk=

I'm crushing on Governor Cuomo

A poll came out last week showing that Gov. Cuomo's job performance approval rating is 71%.  Two months ago it was 36%.  So I'm not the only one who has had an abrupt change of heart.

It's easy to see why.  The Governor is delivering a master class in crisis communications before our very eyes. When we locked down on March 12, I was in a state of absolute panic.  I had stopped eating and sleeping, lost focus and couldn't stop obsessing about the news.  And with Trump babbling about hoaxes and drinking Lysol, watching the news was not helping.

But then I started tuning into Gov. Cuomo's daily briefing, and I could breathe again.  He starts his briefing with the most recent statistics.  Then he cheerleads, cajoles and scolds depending upon which is called for as he guides us through the pandemic.   He also spends a great deal of time trying to explain to Federal officials what they should and could be doing.  And sometimes they even take his advice.

Kudos also goes to his uber-competent staff.  When someone asks them a question during the Q&A that they don't have an answer to, they follow-up with the answer the next day.  Once when an expert explained something, Cuomo turned to the audience after and said "Did you understand that?  Because I sure didn't."  The expert rephrased.

The governor is very careful to distinguish facts from opinions, and points out that opinions are not facts and that while people are entitled to their own opinions they are not entitled to their own facts.  No fake news allowed here.

But he also spends a considerable amount of time talking about his own family and how this crisis is affecting them and their relationships.  And when he does, his love for them shines through.  Because "his mother is not expendable" he created Matilda's Law to protect seniors.  And I am not surprised that when his brother Chris was hallucinating during his bout of Covid-19, he saw his big bro as a good fairy trying to make the virus disappear.

Because at the end of the day, what Governor Cuomo has done is to reassure me and everyone else at the epicenter of the pandemic, that we have a steady, competent leader at the helm who can get us through this difficult time.  And that's why 78% of people surveyed said they trusted the governor to determine when it will be safe for businesses to reopen.  (Vielkind, 2020)

Others would do well to follow his example.

Vielkind, J. (2020, April 27)  Big Majority of New York Voters Back Coronavirus Lockdown Measures.  wsj.com.  retrieved May 6, 2020, from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/large-majority-of-new-york-voters-back-face-coverings-in-public-poll-shows-11587987790