The Search in an Age of Isolation
In March 2020, the United States came to a halt. Coronavirus had been making major news in countries like China and Italy but had yet to make its impact in North America. It was easy to put our attention elsewhere – billionaire Michael Bloomberg trying to make a splash in the Democratic Primaries, Kobe Bryant’s death, or the new Sonic the Hedgehog movie. At most, we peered at other countries’ lockdowns and the events surrounding a COVID-19 outbreak on a cruise ship. For those who were not paying close attention, it seemed like one day was normal, and the next we all had to download a program we had never heard of before, Zoom. Some found this shift a novel break from the status quo, others lost their livelihoods, and everyone had to re-prioritize their life. No matter the specific effects, the isolating nature of the pandemic soon set in.
It has been almost two years, and that looming, lonely specter of disease still forces us apart. Like an atom forced to give up its electrons, we shrunk our social circles for health and safety. We all still yearn for those lost particles, not whole without them. So we bide our time, trying our best to find moments of community over the computer screen or from a distance too far to feel the warmth of another being. Things have gotten better; vaccines have allowed us to gather more, especially in warmer months when the outside world takes on a more habitable sentiment. However, just because we can gather at some points, the fear and anxiety of infection that permeates our thoughts and forces us away from truly living in a moment still exists. Many of us have spent the past two years looking through a metaphorical (and sometimes literal) window at the world, only observing what crosses our path. One of the most damaging aspects of isolation comes into play then, the way we see others has shifted.
Finding the Human No More, No Less
The authenticity and joy of existing within a community served as an incredible counterweight to the often callus, two-dimensional, digital world. The world of our social feeds and screens is colder, often anonymous, and frequently frustrating. The digital world is a prerequisite for wider societal participation, but perhaps our mothers knew more than we thought when they told us to spend less time in front of a computer screen. Strained eyes are no comparison, however, to the polarization of our perception. From finely curated to clumsily coincidental, the view from our digital window sill sells us a snapshot of a person and advertises it as their full portrait. We invest, positively or negatively, in these perceptions and see others as dehumanized or romanticized versions of who they truly are. It is easier to dismiss the uncomfortable, angry, and disrespectful people when we see them as fundamentally different from us and it is not charitable to put others above ourselves on a pedestal. This phenomenon is not new, but its growing blaze has been stoked by the pandemic.
Then how do we fix it? Just as Rome was not built in a day, NCXT knows Our Best World™ is not a plug-and-play situation. There is no twelve-step program that leads to global harmony. On a grand scale of importance, no action that we take feels significant enough to even register. However, we are all one person, our scale is not grand, rather it is wonderfully small. Our scale is constrained to the words we speak, the actions we take, and how those weave into the lives of those around us. Through authenticity and grace, our interactions with family, friends, coworkers, clients, a grocery clerk, a museum volunteer, an activist, or any person entering our orbit (even just for a moment or two) can push back against the feeling of isolation and illuminate some of the path through the forest.
It is easy to become caught in the desolate cynicism of our world. It certainly is not unwarranted at times. The cruelty and hatred that exists in our world is an unfortunately resilient tumor that unfairly targets those without power. Like generations before us, we group together to bear storms and waves, taking care of each other while moving toward a larger goal of equity. Today it can feel like communities have been torn apart, and what was once a thriving network of support, understanding, and accountability has been torn into a disparate collection of driftwood.
NCXT is invested in helping repair and build those ships. We value authenticity and orient ourselves towards the future. Building Our Best World™ will not be done through the words we say, but also the actions we take. We are confident in our convictions. We engage our partners as the humans they are, and honor that in our solutions. We prioritize the need to understand over the urge to chastise. At NCXT we are fueled by the belief in a better tomorrow and want to help you make the world feel a bit more full.