In the wake of the pandemic, it seems apparent that the strain on society has contributed to an increase in antisocial, antagonistic and even aggressive behavior. We see this in the increasing anger we express toward one another in verbal or even physical outbursts. Sometimes these encounters are relatively mild arguments in grocery stores, but one can also see the connection to our country’s ongoing epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings. Among the 266 mass shootings recorded in 2022 alone, the justifications cited by the gunmen have included conspiracy theories, such as the replacement theory (which proposes that people of color would replace the white race), or racist desires to eliminate Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Jews—seeing these populations as responsible for the declining economy, for wars, for the Coronavirus, etc.
Today there is increasing belligerent behaviors in our daily encounters. Road rage has been escalating, as well as the angry outbursts we are now witnessing in a variety of settings, such as school boards or during public speaking venues. The outbursts occur in such a way as to disturb events, requiring the need to postpone or cancel the on-going program. University speakers have been cancelled due to strong negative reactions to either the speaker or the content of the speech.
I have a theory, or rather a hypothesis, that is not tested, nor accepted. I am trying it out on you, my readers. I want to understand the reasons for the lack of control in such a large proportion of our population, and have come up with the following: During the pandemic, and to some extent still today with the new surge of AB212, we have experienced isolation. Most of us have lost contact with family and friends for extended periods of time. I, for one, living in a retirement community, did not leave my room for over two years. My only contacts were by phone or Zoom. During the short walks I took on the premises, if I met anyone, we would stay six feet apart and did not really talk.
According to Dr. Joel Salinas, a faculty member of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, isolation is associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as elevated risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chronic inflammation. Isolation has also led to cognitive decline and even early death. Being able to access others for emotional support seems to have a protective health effect on the brain. Studies of lab animals kept in isolation have shown brain shrinkage, reduced brain cell connections, and other brain changes as seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Without opportunities for interactions with a variety of people, I wonder whether we lose control of our emotions and easily give way to feelings of anger and upset. I always thought of civilization as a moderating force to help us deal with opposing opinions and accept people who are different from ourselves as part of our common humanity. Our innate reaction to encountering different people from ourselves is caution at best, or fear at worse. In brain studies of people looking at images of people we don’t know, our neurons take longer to recognize different people. We have been programmed to be risk-averse. Contact with others is what helps in overcoming prejudice; without contact we revert to primitive reactions, such as road rage and inappropriate outbursts during meetings.
Years ago I led workshops consisting of half black and half white participants. At first there was suspicion and even overt hostility, but by the end of the week, living together and eating together and non-stop interactions for the duration of the workshop, participants learned to not only accept their differences, but even began to truly care for each other. I have read about camping trips of Arab and Israeli children starting off with obvious animosity; however, by the end of the camping experience, felt real friendships towards each other. Getting to really know other people makes us realize that we all share similar hopes and fears, love of family, and need for acceptance.
Isolation is counter to civil behavior and contributes to our antisocial behaviors. Let’s all stay in touch with each other and seek opportunities to encounter a variety of opinions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; in the process, we can once again become gain a rational, tolerant, understanding and, maybe even loving, citizens.