The Corona Virus -- How to Endure a Pandemic

(Disclaimer -- This is no alternative to medical advice, and I am no medical doctor. For specific information, please contact your physician, thank you).

An unexpected, yet terrible problem has forced itself upon us and upon our lives. It is a problem so dire that it has ruined entire financial systems and shut down the lives of people and even a few nations. We now live in a worldwide emergency state, with no absolute guarantee that any of us will prevail against the plague until hopefully a cure will be invented and successfully implemented.

However, even if we are unable to absolutely survive these dire times, we can nonetheless make some effort to protect ourselves as realistically as possible from the Corona plague. In the hope that we will be able to significantly decrease our chances of unfortunate infection, we can do so by following the advice of health experts and taking precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks, and washing our hands frequently.

Even in these times of despair and shutdowns, we can still increase the probability of surviving as individuals through the power of solitude. We can use this time to reflect on our lives, to connect with our loved ones, and to learn new things. We can also use this time to give back to our communities and to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

I will not say that this phenomenon is a good thing for my partially-isolationist philosophy of Rubinshteinian/Solitary Individualism, as that would be offensive. However, I will say that it seems that my philosophy of relative isolation and asceticism can help us all in enduring these hard times, if we are to discipline ourselves enough to isolate ourselves from the world until a medical solution is found. In other words, if we are to increase our physical involvement with the External World, we can have the opportunity to protect ourselves from possible infection that can be caused by countless interactions with others. It is a time that we should abandon our quest for societal interactions and External-World-hedonism in the name of our health. It is a time to train ourselves to become more independent of those who might risk our health by infecting us, and take some time within the Internal World, AKA, in the safety of our homes, apartments, and rooms, until the plague will pass and the world will be restored to its original form of general safety. By adapting the following habits during the attack of the Corona-virus upon the Earth, you too can increase your chances of enduring the global plague. These are habits that you might have disagreed with me to utilize before the disease's deadly spreading across the world. It is a time to open your heads for a more solitary, ascetic lifestyle, in the name of survival and in the name of doing your best to not risk infecting others as well:

• Stay home as much as possible. Only go out for essential activities such as grocery shopping, going to the doctor, or exercising. If you do go out, be sure to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

• Wash your hands frequently. Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the bathroom, before eating, and after being in public.

• Avoid touching your face. Your hands are often dirty, so touching your face can spread germs to your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Clean and disinfect surfaces. Wipe down frequently touched surfaces in your home with a disinfectant wipe.

• Get vaccinated. When a vaccine is available, get vaccinated as soon as possible.

• Stay informed. Follow the latest news and information about the virus from trusted sources.

• Be patient. This is a difficult time for everyone. Be patient with yourself and others.

• Use the internet. Minimize physical interactions and use virtual communication more often. Remember that you don't have to be lonely in this day and age.

• Avoid physical contact with other people. By touching other people, you risk their infection and vice versa. Abandon handshakes for simply greeting the person in front of you. Instead, you can wave, nod, or say hello verbally.

• Avoid finding yourself at large-scale gatherings. The more people there are in an open area, the likelier the virus will spread across the gathering at hand.

As it can be clearly seen, by avoiding unnecessary interactions with the External World, and by finding alternative solutions to communications such as the virtual world and technology, we can do ourselves and others the service of resisting the Corona-virus from spreading any further in the world, even if we will not be able to stop it completely. Isolation, therefore, is key even if it's controversial as a value and as a policy to follow.

As of now in Israel, there are around 140 infected people in a country that contains millions of people. Perhaps contrary to other countries, we Israelis are better at handling the situation, even if not entirely in a competent manner. I will also follow the philosophy I presented in this article, and try to isolate myself as much as necessarily possible from the world to do my service to both others and myself.

I wish you all to be healthy, strong and self-disciplined enough to successfully endure these dire times of escalation.