There has been a lot of panic since the Corona outbreak but recently it got even worse. I live on a tropical island as you may or may not know and life was normal here while the rest of the world was going insane. People weren’t worried at all about the virus here and Thailand seemed to do fine. They did fine until they suddenly took measures and started to close gyms all over Thailand. People started panicking and some of them left earlier than planned, others canceled their return to the island and went home. The few that stayed were doing fine until they announced a lockdown. Well, that was the rumor, nothing was set in stone yet. The real news was that they were going to announce something at 2 in the afternoon on a Thursday. People didn’t seem to get that and assumed the whole island was going to get shut down. So people left the very last minute. A day later a half curfew got announced. Nobody knows when it ends or starts but it should start between 6 and 8 at night and stop between 6 and 8 in the morning. Life just goes on as normal here.
Now some people may think this makes sense but it doesn’t. People have made some decisions that they regretted later on based on panic. They went home and quickly realized that it was better to do the opposite of what they did. Other people have died because they couldn’t get a hold of their emotions.
Panic is an ill adviser.
People who panic can’t think clear that’s been proven time and time again. They’re so caught up in imaginary thoughts and assumptions that they lose a sense of reality. I mean, you should focus on what could go right instead of what can go wrong. You panic because you focus on all the negative outcomes. That creates the uncomfortable feeling we call panic so what did the people do in this case? They started craving comfort and comfort can be found at…? Home of course. That’s why all these people returned. They wanted to have a feeling of comfort and control again.
The issue with panic.
The issue is that panic is infectious. Just think about it, one person starts panicking and 5 people leave. Can’t be a coincidence right?! They all left in the middle of a semi lockdown in Thailand, which means that they might get stuck along the way. Oh, and the tickets were crazy expensive. Like 5 times the normal price during this period. Going home last minute wasn’t on my list. I mean what would I do back home besides collecting dust in my room? Europe is in full lockdown. Plus you travel in the heat of the outbreak. You increase the chances of getting infected and infecting others back home. I highly doubt that’ll happen because they’re all young but I also doubt they thought about that.
The tough guy who wasn’t that tough.
There was a guy who claimed he wasn’t afraid of the virus. He was going to stay on the island no matter what. Well that all changed as soon as the gym closed. He was then constantly talking about how bad the virus was and how we were all going do die. Nobody was sad when he left since he was bad for the group moral. But this is the perfect example of how soft our generation is. People can’t handle discomfort anymore and most men are just big crybabies. It’s sad, like how are we going to remain calm in times like this if both genders start panicking?! Aren’t we in need of real men in times like this? I mean where do people look in times of panic? Some people might not like it but they look at men and there isn’t a lot left these days. This reminded me of the old Bill Burr joke “not a single feminist can be found in a house fire”. The same goes for the corona outbreak.
I haven’t heard the term toxic masculinity a single time since the coronavirus outbreak I wonder why.
How to get through panic.
I know a lot people give the “just relax” advice when people panic but that has the opposite effect. In the end, you just have to control your breathing and sit back to make sure that you don’t spend too much energy on negative thoughts. Oh and don’t surround yourself with negative people since they’re infectious. Focus on what you can control instead of what you can’t control.
I once heard a lifeguard say that most people drown because they panic and wear themselves completely out. Don’t be like that. Breathe, look at the actual facts and master the art of turning shit into sugar and make the most out of everything.
My first fight and the 2 seconds of panic.
I don’t remember a lot of my first muay Thai fight but I remember that my opponent was a lot bigger than me. I had trouble finding my range because he was so powerful. By the end of the second, I finally found my range and went to work. I head kicked him and made him wobble. He came straight at me, I let him come. Peppered him up and head kicked him again just before the bell rang. In the third, I poured it on from the start. I saw an opening for a right hand so I set it up and it landed flush. I saw it happen in slow motion. His head snapped back, the sweat was flying and I told myself that it looked pretty cool. He recovered from it and I was surprised he was still standing. He kept his guard up and tried to swarm me. At one point I was thinking to myself “what do I have to do to put this guy away?!”. I then reminded myself that I just had to keep punching him in the face.
2 rounds later I broke him mentally and I won by TKO (elbow injury). This wouldn’t have happened if I would have panicked. I’d have lost that fight and I would have been my own fault. It’s like I said, focus on the task ahead. Panic won’t save you in any situation. The sooner you realize that the better.
Panic is an ill adviser: get over it.
Emotions will cloud your thinking. A lot of people have made stupid decisions because they couldn’t think anymore. The only way to get through this coronatine is to realize that you can’t control it. During this whole period, I haven’t panicked once and I’ve made a lot of jokes about this whole situation. You should be able to withstand the storm when everyone around you is going nuts. People who panic need someone with common sense when they’re going crazy. Someone with common sense might help them understand that they’re not being rational and will only make things worse. You should be that person. Be uncommon amongst common men.
Show what you’re made off and be the light in darker times.
Don’t forget to buy my latest book: “The Year Of The Alpha: 366 Lessons On Adding Meaning To Your Life! It’ll take your life from Zero To Alpha. (you can buy it here)
Till next time.
Alex
