The most valuable quality in a post pandemic world

Apathy, as per Google’s definition, is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something, it is a state of indifference.

Through the hardships that one has been forced to inevitably face during the ongoing pandemic, the monotony of these days poses an unforeseen silver lining.

In accordance with the self-reflection that I have undergone as a product of the plethora of time that the privileged youth, such as myself have been granted, it appears as though, the ultimate achievement regarding my growth towards becoming a holistic human being through the dreadful year of 2020 has been my realization towards the importance of leading, operating and functioning with empathy.

With the dawn of the covid-19 pandemic, one of the key lessons that I learnt, was the unpredictability of life as we know it. Never could we have ever imagined being forced to live in this sort of situation in our lifetime

I was met with the reality of the finite nature of life as well as with my obligation, as someone who has been brought up in an environment of plenty, to think beyond the selfish bounds of my own self-interest.

The passivity that society has been inclined towards for several centuries manifested itself in numerous forms as the situation degraded. I found myself, overcome with a great desire and fixation to make some sort of impact in my life.

Through the following months, as the situation only worsened, although I was and still am thankful for my situation, on the other hand, it brought out to me, so evidently, the fact that so many people don’t have what I have.

While my family and I had practically sailed through lockdown with only some minor hiccups along the way, a majority of those around me had been drowning in an ocean, fighting for air. Many lost their jobs, their family’s income, their security, and their hope.

One cannot ignore the fact that the primary reason why the privileged, even through such tough times, still feel a sense of comfort and ease is all due to the tireless efforts of those brave souls who have chosen to put the goal of the betterment of humanity before themselves. Such warriors include front-line workers, shopkeepers, the police; from the members of the administrative system who have been working towards keeping everything together to the Indian sewer sweepers. It is their hard work, determination, and sacrifices that have revealed the most selfless face of the pandemic.

Once I recognized the fact that I was not a lone wolf but in fact belonged to an ecosystem, an ecosystem, where everyone was valid and everyone’s roles irrespective of whether they were regarded as big or small, were equally important, I felt compelled to embark on a journey of contribution that lead me to go beyond doing the bare minimum.

All of these undertakings, from raising money for donating masks, joining a student-led organization that aimed at serving India during the pandemic to distributing masks and food to the underprivileged, gave me a newfound strength and pride.

In the new normal post-pandemic world, the one thing that I would value and cherish the most, is empathy.